Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon
Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon is a fictional dish mentioned in Aristophanes' comedy Assemblywomen.[1]
It is a transliteration of the Ancient Greek word λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων. Liddell & Scott translate this as "name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces."[2]
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The Greek has 171 letters, and for centuries it was the longest word known.[citation needed] It is the longest word ever to appear in literature according to Guinness World Records (1990).[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)
- a kind of sea fish or blackbird as topping
- 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
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
[1170] lepadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon. [sic]
[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]
In English translations
In English prose translation by Leo Strauss (1966), this Greek word is rendered as "oysters-saltfish-skate-sharks'-heads-left-over-vinegar-dressing-laserpitium-leek-with-honey-sauce-thrush-blackbird-pigeon-dove-roast-cock's-brains-wagtail-cushat-hare-stewed-in-new-wine-gristle-of-veal-pullet's-wings" [4]
English verse translation by Benjamin Bickley Rogers (1902) follows the original meter and the original way of composition:
"Plattero-filleto-mulleto-turboto-
-Cranio-morselo-pickleo-acido-
-Silphio-honeyo-pouredonthe-topothe-
-Ouzelo-throstleo-cushato-culvero-
-Cutleto-roastingo-marowo-dippero-
-Leveret-syrupu-gibleto-wings."[5]
Older English verse translation by Rev. Rowland Smith (1833) destroys the original composed word and breaks it in several verses:
"All sorts of good cheer;
Limpets, oysters, salt fish,
And a skate too a dish,
Lampreys, with the remains
Of sharp sauce and birds' brains,
With honey so luscious,
Plump blackbirds and thrushes,
Cocks' combs and ring doves,
Which each epicure loves,
Also wood-pigeons blue,
With juicy snipes too,
And to close all, O rare!
The wings of jugged hare!
The newest translation by O'Neill, quoted above, does not translate this word and uses only a transliteration.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae (ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.), line 1163". Perseus.tufts.edu. 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. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Guinness Book of World Records, 1990 ed, pg. 129 ISBN 0-8069-5790-5
- ↑ "Leo Strauss: On Aristophanes' Ecclesiazusae, & translation [1966]". Archive.org. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "The Ecclesiazusae of Aristophanes". Archive.org. Retrieved 2013-03-20.