Words of Whizzdom: English’s Wonderfully Weird Vocabulary
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
Jug Suraiya celebrates English’s status as the most verbose language in the world, with an estimated 600,000 to one million words, likening it to a tropical rainforest of exotic verbal flora and fauna. He highlights extraordinary examples including ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’ (45 letters, denoting a lung disease from volcanic dust) and ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’ (28 letters, the longest non-scientific term), referencing Lewis Carroll’s invented words as examples of unauthorized linguistic migrants.
The article discusses Josefa Heifetz Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (1974), which catalogues 6,000 words from ‘aa’ (Hawaiian lava) to ‘zzxjoanw’ (a Maori drum). Noting that India is the world’s most anglophone country with 125-228 million second-language English speakers, Suraiya humorously suggests the dictionary needs an Indianised update compiled by someone who could coin terms like “Tharoorisms”—a playful reference to politician Shashi Tharoor’s penchant for elaborate vocabulary.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
English’s Unmatched Verbal Population
With 600,000 to one million words, English hosts the largest vocabulary of any language on Earth.
Lewis Carroll’s Linguistic Migration
Carroll’s invented words like ‘slithy’ and ‘mimsy’ represent unauthorized migrants joining the language community.
Record-Breaking Word Lengths
The 45-letter ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’ holds the title of English’s longest word.
Dictionary of the Preposterous
Byrne’s 1974 dictionary catalogs 6,000 unusual words from ‘aa’ (Hawaiian lava) to ‘zzxjoanw’ (Maori drum).
India’s Anglophone Supremacy
With 125-228 million second-language speakers, India is the world’s most anglophone country.
The Birth of Tharoorisms
The article playfully coins ‘Tharoorisms’ as a term for elaborate, bombastic vocabulary distinctive to Indian English.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
Celebrating Linguistic Abundance
English’s extraordinary vocabulary richness—ranging from Carroll’s whimsical inventions to 45-letter medical terms—makes it uniquely verbose among world languages, with India’s massive anglophone population justifying an Indianised lexical update that would capture distinctive contributions like Tharoorisms.
Purpose
Entertaining Linguistic Appreciation
The article aims to entertain readers with fascinating examples of English’s lexical extremes while advocating for recognition of India’s substantial contribution to the language’s ongoing evolution through distinctive vocabulary usage and creative wordsmithing.
Structure
Illustrative → Encyclopedic → Culturally Specific
The piece opens with Carroll’s fantastical vocabulary, transitions through dictionary examples and record-breaking words, then culminates in connecting India’s anglophone status to the need for documenting Indian English contributions, exemplified by the playful Tharoorisms concept.
Tone
Playful, Erudite & Whimsical
Suraiya adopts a deliberately ornate, tongue-in-cheek style that mirrors his subject matter, using elaborate phrases like “prestidigitator of polysyllabic prolixity” to simultaneously celebrate and gently satirize English’s capacity for verbal extravagance.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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Characterized by the use of long words; polysyllabic. Literally meaning ‘a foot and a half long,’ referring to excessively lengthy or pompous language.
“Supremo of sesquipedalian semantic sententiousness, prestidigitator of polysyllabic prolixity, the wunderkind of waffle.”
A magician or conjurer skilled in sleight of hand; someone who performs tricks with quick, dexterous finger movements; metaphorically, a master manipulator.
“Prestidigitator of polysyllabic prolixity, the wunderkind of waffle.”
The quality of being tediously lengthy or wordy in speech or writing; excessive verbosity that becomes tiresome or boring.
“Prestidigitator of polysyllabic prolixity, the wunderkind of waffle.”
Exhibiting different colors or elements; marked by variety or diversity; having patches, streaks, or marks of different colors or characteristics.
“Who but the person who could coin a generic term for such variegated verbiage and call them Tharoorisms?”
Sensational or exaggerated publicity or advertising; extravagant fuss or commotion designed to attract attention; noisy promotional activity.
“Bespoke bestower of bombastic ballyhoo, expositor of extraordinary expression.”
A person who achieves great success or acclaim at an early age; a child prodigy or wonder child; someone remarkably talented or precocious.
“Prestidigitator of polysyllabic prolixity, the wunderkind of waffle.”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the article, English is estimated to contain between 600,000 and one million words.
2What does the word ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’ signify according to the article?
3Which sentence best captures the author’s metaphor for English’s vocabulary diversity?
4Evaluate each statement based on the article:
Byrne’s dictionary includes words ranging from Hawaiian to Maori languages.
India has more native English speakers than any other country.
The article was published in 1974.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5What does the author’s elaborate description of a potential dictionary compiler suggest about his attitude toward verbose language?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
At 45 letters, this word is generally considered the longest in the English language. It denotes a lung disease caused by inhaling volcanic dust particles. While rarely used in practical medical contexts, it exemplifies English’s capacity to construct extraordinarily long compound words by combining Greek and Latin roots, demonstrating the language’s technical vocabulary-building mechanisms and its attraction to polysyllabic terminology.
Carroll’s nonsense words from works like “Jabberwocky” represent creative neologisms that entered English as what Suraiya calls ‘unauthorised migrants into the community of language.’ Words like ‘chortle’ (from ‘chuckle’ and ‘snort’) became standard English vocabulary. This process demonstrates English’s unusual receptiveness to adopting invented terms when they fill linguistic gaps or capture concepts efficiently, showing the language’s democratic and evolving nature beyond formal lexicographical gatekeeping.
Tharoorisms are a playful term for the elaborate, polysyllabic vocabulary associated with Indian politician and author Shashi Tharoor, known for using sophisticated English words. Suraiya humorously suggests Tharoor as the ideal compiler for an updated Indian English dictionary because he represents a distinctively Indian contribution to English’s ongoing evolution. The reference celebrates how Indian English speakers add their own flavor to the language while gently satirizing tendencies toward verbal extravagance.
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This article is rated Intermediate level. It requires comfort with sophisticated vocabulary (verbose, esoteric, cornucopia, apotheosis), ability to follow playful rhetorical flourishes and deliberate stylistic excess, and familiarity with literary references like Lewis Carroll. The writing employs meta-commentary about language itself, requiring readers to appreciate both the content and the deliberately ornate manner of presentation. Success demands recognizing when elaborate language serves humorous rather than purely informative purposes.
As a former associate editor with the Times of India who writes regular columns like “Jugular Vein” and “Second Opinion,” Suraiya brings decades of professional engagement with English language usage in the Indian context. His perspective bridges literary appreciation, journalistic clarity, and cultural commentary. He understands both the formal evolution of English and its distinctive Indian adaptations, making him well-positioned to celebrate the language’s quirks while recognizing India’s significant contribution to its continued development.
The Ultimate Reading Course covers 9 RC question types: Multiple Choice, True/False, Multi-Statement T/F, Text Highlight, Fill in the Blanks, Matching, Sequencing, Error Spotting, and Short Answer. This comprehensive coverage prepares you for any reading comprehension format you might encounter.
