…Facts About Words That Will Blow Your Mind
… Facts About Words That Will Blow Your Mind
Words are the building blocks of communication—but still, there’s a lot you probably don’t know about them. Even some of the most common words have surprising histories or hidden meanings. And at the same time, the English language is loaded with words that perfectly describe everyday things, but chances are that you don’t use them because you never even knew they existed. That is, of course, until now. Here are 40 wild word facts that will add flavor to your future conversations—and maybe even help lead your team to victory at your next trivia night. And for more things that will stimulate your brain, check out these 50 Surprising Facts That Will Make You Question Everything.
1. An infinity sign is called a “lemniscate.”
The term refers to a plane curve in which two loops meet at a central point, creating what we might call a sideways figure-eight. As Merriam-Webster explains, it’s derived from the Latin word for “with hanging ribbons.” And if you want to expand your word knowledge, check out these 50 Superb Synonyms You Can Use for Everyday Words.
2. The longest English word is nearly 190,000 letters.
That would be the chemical name of Titin, the largest known protein. It begins, “Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylalanylprolylthreonylphenylalanylthreonylglutaminylprolylleucylglutaminylserylvalylvalylvalylleucylglutamylglycylserylthreonylalanylthreonylphenylalanylglutamylalanylhistidylisoleucylserylglycylphenylalanylprolylvalylprolylglutamylvalylseryltryptophylphenylalanylarginylaspartylglycylglutaminylvalylisoleucylserylthreonylserylthreonylleucylpro” and goes on for tens of thousands of letters.
3. The longest word found in a major dictionary is 45 letters long.
The word, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, technically refers to a type of lung disease caused by silica dust. But according to Lexico, it was actually coined in the 1930s by Everett M. Smith, the president of the National Puzzlers League, for the express purpose of becoming the longest word in the English language, so it’s a bit of a cheat.
To be continued ….
