Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon
Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon is a fictional dish mentioned in Aristophanes' comedy Assemblywomen.[1]
It is a transliteration of the Ancient Greek word λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων in the Greek alphabet (1169–74). Liddell & Scott translate this as "name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces."[2]
 |
Look up λοπαδοτεμαχο... in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
|
Look up lepado... in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
The original Greek spelling had 171 characters (something which is not obvious in the Roman transcription, depending on the variant) and for centuries it was the longest word known[citation needed] and it is the longest word ever to appear in literature.[3]
The dish was a fricassée, with at least 16 sweet and sour ingredients, including the following:[3]
- Fish slices
- Fish of the Elasmobranchii subclass (a shark or ray)
- Rotted dogfish or small shark's head
- Generally sharp-tasting dish of several ingredients grated and pounded together
- Silphion "laserwort," apparently a kind of giant fennel
- A kind of crab, shrimp, or crayfish
- Honey poured down
- Wrasse (or thrush)
- Was topped with a kind of sea fish or Blackbird
- Wood pigeon
- Domestic pigeon
- Chicken
- Roasted head of dabchick
- Hare, which could be a kind of bird or a kind of sea hare
- New wine boiled down
- Wing and/or fin
[edit] Context
The term is used in the ultimate chorus of the play, when Blepyrus (and the audience) are summoned to the first feast laid on by the new system.
[1167] And you others, let your light steps too keep time.[1168] Very soon we'll be eating
[1175] Come, quickly, seize hold of a plate, snatch up a cup, and let's run to secure a place at table. The rest will have their jaws at work by this time.[1]
[1170] Lepadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphiotyromelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptokephaliokinklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetragalopterygon.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae (ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.), line 1163". Perseus.tufts.edu. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0030:line=1163. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ^ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, λοπα^δο-τεμα^χο-σελα^χο-γα^λεο-κρα_νιο-λειψα^νο-δρι_μ-υ^ποτριμ-μα^το -σιλφι^ο-κα_ρα^βο-μελι^το-κα^τα^κεχυ^μενο-κιχλ-επι^κοσσυ^φο-φαττο-περιστερ-α^λεκτρυ^ον-οπτο-κεφαλλιο-κιγκλο-πελειο-λα^γῳο -σι^ραιο-βα^φη-τρα^γα^νο-πτερύγων". Perseus.tufts.edu. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dlopadotemaxoselaxogaleokranioleiyanodrimupotrimmato. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ^ a b Guinness Book of World Records, 1990 ed, pg. 129 ISBN 0806957905
