Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *plew- Proto-Indo-European *-mṓ Proto-Indo-European *pléwmō Ancient Greek πλεύμων (pleúmōn) ▲ Ancient Greek πνέω (pnéō)influ. ▲ Ancient Greek πνεῦμα (pneûma)influ. Ancient Greek πνεύμων (pneúmōn) Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. German -o- German Pneumono- Proto-Indo-European *ken-der. Ancient Greek κόνις (kónis) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Hellenic *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Ancient Greek -ωσις (-ōsis)bor. New Latin -ōsislbor. German -osis German Pneumonokoniosisbor. English pneumonoconiosis Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Latin ūls Proto-Indo-European *-teros? Latin -ter Old Latin -ād Latin -ā Latin ultrābor. English ultra- Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós) Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Hellenic *sképťomai Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai) Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Hellenic *-ós ▲ Ancient Greek -ος (-os)influ. Ancient Greek -ός (-ós) Ancient Greek σκοπός (skopós) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō) Ancient Greek σκοπέω (skopéō) Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin mīcroscopiumlbor. Italian microscopiobor. English microscope Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English microscopic English ultramicroscopic Latin silex ▲ Latin -ium New Latin siliciumlbor. English silicium English -on English silicon ▲ Latin -o-bor. English -o- English silico- Cretan Ancient Greek Ϝέλχανος (Wélkhanos)der.? Latin Vulcānusbor. Italian Vulcano Italian vulcanobor. English volcano English pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Coined by American puzzle designer and newspaper editor Everett Smith, President of the National Puzzlers' League, at their convention in 1935 as a deliberately long word. An extension of the medical term pneumonoconiosis (by surface analysis, pneumono- (“lung”) + coniosis (“disease caused by the inhalation of dust”)) with ultramicroscopic + silico- + volcano inserted between the two elements.

black lung • pneumoconiosis • pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis