Categories
Really Long Words

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Several Latin stem words strung together as a joke by a student in Eton College in the 18th Century. The list came from a grammar book that listed a Latin word set in which all meant “little or no value.” These words were: flocci, nauci, nihili, and pili (with –fication at the end to make it a noun.)

floccifloccus (a whisp or piece of wool)

naucinaucum (a trifle)

nihilinihilism (nothing)

pilipilus (a hair)

In essence, they all mean little, nothing, or worthless. And quite obviously, this word is fun because it sets an example of a really long word.