Monday, April 17, 2006

Do you know the LONGGGGGGGEST word in English?

While surfing the net i found something interesting to let you know......

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapik-imaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
is the Maori (language) placename on an otherwise unremarkable hill which is 305 metres high, close to Porangahau, south of Waipukurau in southern Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.

The placename is often shortened to Taumata by the locals for ease of conversation.
The placename on the sign that marks this hill is spelt as Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoro-nukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu which roughly translates into English as The brow [or summit] of the hill [or place], where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid [down], climbed [up] and swallowed mountains, [to travel the land], [who is] known as the Land Eater, played [on] his [nose] flute to his loved one. At 85 letters, it is one of the longest placenames in the world. There are several alternative translations and variants in spelling.

It has also been spelled as: Tetaumatawhakatangihangakoauaotamateaurehaeaturipukapihim-aungahoronukupokaiwhenuaakitanarahu, which is 92 letters, and has been entered into the Guinness Book of Records as such.

The longer version of the name is apparently more recent, or perhaps more formal. There are claims that the longer name, which is now shown on a sign, has been in use all along by local Maori. The Welsh argue that the longer name has been contrived to be longer than Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which some others argue was contrived to be the longest British place name in the first place.

No comments:

Post a Comment