Antidisestablishmentarianism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look up Antidisestablish... in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Antidisestablishmentarianism listen (help·info) (American English: listen (help·info)) originated in the context of the nineteenth century Church of England, where "antidisestablishmentarians" were opposed to proposals to remove the Church's status as the state church of England. The movement succeeded in England, but failed in Ireland and Wales, with the Church of Ireland being disestablished in 1871 and the Church of Wales in 1920. Antidisestablishmentarian members of the Free Church of Scotland delayed merger with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in a dispute about the position of the Church of Scotland. The term has largely fallen into disuse, although the issue itself is still current (see Act of Settlement 1701).

1 The word
- 1.1 In fiction
2 See also
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] The word

The word antidisestablishmentarianism, with 28 letters, is commonly regarded as the longest accepted word in the English language. The word is used seriously in academic and ecclesiastical writing about the Church of England when the concept arises, which it does occasionally.^[1] However, since 1992 it has lost this title to floccinaucinihilipilification in the Guinness Book of Records.

Antidisestablishmentarianism might still be the longest word not invented for the specific purpose of being a long word (the word floccinaucinihilipilification may have been invented as a joke, and is an amalgamation of four Latin words^[2]^[3]). Presumably the creation of the word antidisestablishmentarianism invoked the irony of its length, and may have to do with the politics and commentary of the time.

Some criticise its validity on the basis that it has two prefixes ("anti-" and "dis"-) and three suffixes ("-ment", "-arian" and "-ism"), stating that not only is it possible to create a number of longer meaningful words by adding ever more prefixes, or changing the existing ones (e.g. changing "-ism" into the equally valid and longer suffix "-istic"), but that "antidisestablishmentarianism" is not a stand-alone word because of them. For example, theoretically "counterantidisestablishmentarianism" is a valid word, where it refers specifically to antidisestablishmentarians' opponents, rather than merely disestablishmentarians in general.

[edit] In fiction

In The Honeymooners TV show episode "The $99,000 Answer", Alice asks Ralph to spell the word. Ralph says he'll spell it if she gives him $16,000 for spelling it. She tells him she'll give him twice the amount if he can say it^{[citation needed]}.

In the Blackadder the Third TV show episode "Dish and Dishonesty", the title character tells Prince George that he shall return 'before you can say antidisestablishmentarianism'. The Prince makes many attempts at saying it, eventually reduced to the level of saying anti-distinctly-minty-monetarism, by the time Blackadder has returned two days later.

In an episode of the animated TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a Cybernetic Turkey from the future makes the statement that tacos do not exist in the future, stating, "I think we all know why. Anti taco legislation! Disestablishmentarianism!"

In an episode of the animated TV show A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo compete against two child geniuses in a Wheel of Fortune-like game show. The first word is 28 letters and the child geniuses correctly guess it is "antidisestablishmentarianism" without uncovering any letters.

In the movie SLC Punk the word "antidisestablishmentarianism" is spray painted on the side of Stevo's van.

In the TV show, "Arthur", The Brain tries to spell "antidisestablishmentarianism" while studying for a school spelling bee.

In the video game Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, Murfy exclaims, "Extraordinary! Extraordinary! There's no other word for it! Antidisestablishmenextraordinarianism!" when the player unlocks a door.

During the commercial break for the show "Recess (TV series)", Gretchen Grundler said “We will be back faster than you can say antidisestablishmentarianism.”

[edit] See also

This entry is related to, but not included in the Political ideologies series or one of its sub-series. Other related articles can be found at the Politics Portal.

[edit] Notes

^ e.g. Hastings "Some notes on the Church of England and Establishment", at University of Botswana History Department site.
^ "Floccinaucinihilipilification" by Michael Quinion World Wide Words;
^ "Floccinaucinihilipilification" Dr. Goodword Alpha Dictionary

[edit] References

Adrian Hastings, Church and state : the English experience (Exeter : University of Exeter Press, 1991.)
antidisestablishmentarianism in the Online Etymology Dictionary

Listen to this article · (info)