The other day I was given an assignment requiring me to find 3 words using the Latin root, anthrop. Boring! Nevertheless, I commenced on my tedious journey into the world of words. "Anthropology. Anthropoid. Anthropocentric. Gee, what fun," I sarcastically thought to myself. Then I came across the word galeanthropy, the delusion that one is a cat. I burst out in laughter at the absurdity of the word, realizing that somebody must have actually witnessed a case of galeanthropy and needed to come up with a word for it. My personal discovery of this word invoked my curiosity, so I began a search for even more peculiar sounding words, and I would like to share some of my findings with you.
Kerfuffle
Part of Speech - Noun or Verb
Pronunciation - [kər-fuf-fəl]
Definition - n. - a commotion or fuss; v. - to ruffle or disarrange
Origin - early 19th century: perhaps from Scots curfuffle (probably from Scottish Gaelic car 'twist, bend' + imitative Scots fuffle 'to disorder'), or related to Irish cior thual 'confusion, disorder'
How to use it - n. There was a kerfuffle over who would get the last cupcake.;
v. - Andy will kerfuffle the entire town if he doesn't return the stolen flag.
Defenestrate
Part of Speech - Verb
Pronunciation - [dee-fen-uh-strayt]
Definition - to throw through or out of the window
Origin - from "de-" + Latin "fenestra," meaning window
How to use it - Melanie became so angry with her defective computer that she defenestrated it.
Obambulate
Part of Speech - Verb
Pronunciation - [o-bam-byuh-layt]
Definition - to walk about aimlessly
Origin - From Latin ob- (towards, against) + ambulare (to walk). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ambhi- (around)
How to use it - Rachel often ombambulates around the room when she is bored.
Discombobulate
Part of Speech - Verb
Pronunciation - [dis-kuhm-bob-yuh-leyt]
Definition - to confuse or perplex someone
Origin - The origins of this word are cloudy but is said that the "bob" in "discombobulate" may have come from "bobbery," a somewhat antiquated word meaning "uproar or confusion."
How to use it - You can discombobulate all your friends with this cool word!
And at a whopping 45 letters, (Yes, this word is said to have appeared in many major dictionaries) here is the grande finale of our weird word fest . . .
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!
Part of Speech - Noun
Pronunciation (Give it your best shot. xD) - [noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis]
Definition - supposedly the longest word in a dictionary, a coined word said to mean a lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust.
Origin - This word was invented in 1935 by Everett M. Smith, president of the National Puzzlers' League, at its annual meeting. The word figured in the headline for an article published by the New York Herald Tribune on February 23, 1935 titled "Puzzlers Open 103d Session Here by Recognizing 45-Letter Word"
How to use it - After waiting patiently in the hospital waiting room, the coal miner was greeted by the doctor who informed him that he had pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
Wow! Wasn't that a mouthful? Well, I hope you came the realization, as have I, that words can be more exciting than they appear to be. So next time you go to write that paper for a school assignment, a writing contest, or even a Times article, pick up a thesaurus and try substituting a couple words for more sophisticated ones (but be sure you know how to correctly use the word first!). Like my English teacher constantly says, "An enhanced vocabulary is the sign of an intelligent person!"
Well, my fellow sesquipedalianists, one who uses large words (:, this is xoxkitkat, heading to the thesaurus in hopes of finding inspiration for a better closing remark than 'signing off.'
Author's Note: Sources: http://dictionary.reference.com/
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Resources/essays/superiorwords.html
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/100_funniest_words.html
http://thesaurus.com/
