sesquipedalian

英 [,seskwɪpɪ'deɪlɪən] 美 [,sɛskwɪpɪ'deljən]
  • n. 冗长的单字
  • adj. 令人厌倦的;多音节的

英文词源


sesquipedalian
sesquipedalian: [17] Sesquipedalian means etymologically ‘a foot and a half long’. Its use in English was inspired by the Roman poet Horace’s phrase sesquipedalia verba, literally ‘words a foot and a half long’, hence ‘preposterously long words that sound pompous’ – of which sesquipedalian itself is an appropriately good example. It is a compound word formed from the Latin prefix sesqui- ‘half as much again’ (a derivative of sēmi- ‘half’) and pēs ‘foot’.
=> foot, pedal
sesquipedalian (n.)
1610s, "person or thing a foot and a half long," from Latin sesquipedalia "a foot-and-a-half long," from sesqui- "half as much again" (see sesqui-) + stem of pes "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)). As an adjective 1650s. Meaning "sesquipedalian word" (1830) is from Latin sesquipedalia verba "words a foot-and-a-half long," in Horace's "Ars Poetica" (97), nicely illustrating the thing he is criticizing.

双语例句


1. In this latter situation and would never expect their designers gifted in sesquipedalian locution.
有些情况下,设计师从来不需要考虑自己写一个字.

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