# pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌnjuːmə.nəʊ.ʌl.tɹə.maɪ.kɹəʊˌskɒ.pɪkˌsɪ.lɪ.kəʊ.vɒl.keɪ.nəʊ.kəʊ.niˈəʊ.sɪs/

## Definitions
1. A disease of the lungs, allegedly caused by inhaling microscopic silicate particles originating from the eruption of a volcano.

## Etymology
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
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 ultrālbor.
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 *-yós
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin -ium
Latin mīcroscopiumlbor.
Italian microscopiobor.
English microscope
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Italic *-kos
Latin -cus
Latin -icuslbor.
Old French -iquebor.
Middle English -ik
English -ic
English microscopic
English ultramicroscopic
New Latin silex
▲
New Latin -ium
New Latin siliciumlbor.
English silicium
Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃-der.?
Latin carbōlbor.
French carbonebor.
English carbonbf.
English -on
English silicon
▲
Latin -o-bor.
English -o-
English silico-
Doric Greek Ϝέλχανος (Wélkhanos)der.?
Latin Vulcānusbor.
Italian Vulcano
Italian vulcanobor.
English volcano
English pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Coined by puzzle designer 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis