sesquipedalianism

English

Etymology

Surface form analyzed as sesquipedalian +‎ -ism, from sesqui- (“one and a half”) +‎ pedalian (“of the foot”).

From Latin sēsquipedālis (“a foot and a half long; in metaphorical use, “of an unnatural length, huge, big””), from sēsqui (“one and a half times as great”) + pedālis (“foot”).[1]

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /sɛz.kwɪ.pəˈdɛl.i.ən.ɪsm̩/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˌsɛskwəpəˈdeɪli.ənɪzm̩/
Audio (US) (file)

Noun

sesquipedalianism (plural sesquipedalianisms)

(uncountable) The practice of using long, sometimes obscure, words in speech or writing.
- 1995, Michael Cart, From Romance to Realism, →ISBN, page 257:
  His voice here is a marvelous juxtaposition of cool elegance, unaffected hipness, unabashed sesquipedalianism ("the rich bouquet of exuded sebaceousness") and swell conversational slang (...)
(countable) A very long word.

Related terms

sequi-
sesquipedal
sesquipedian
sesquipedalian

References

From A New and Copious Lexicon of the Latin Language, Compiled Chiefly from the Magnum Totius Latinitatis Lexicon of Facciolati and Forcellini, and the German Works of Scheller and Luenemann, edited by F. P. Leverett, Wilkins, Carter & Co., Boston, 1849.

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[1] From A New and Copious Lexicon of the Latin Language, Compiled Chiefly from the Magnum Totius Latinitatis Lexicon of Facciolati and Forcellini, and the German Works of Scheller and Luenemann, edited by F. P. Leverett, Wilkins, Carter & Co., Boston, 1849.