Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon
Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon is a fictional dish mentioned in Aristophanes' comedy Assemblywomen.[1]
It is a transliteration of the Ancient Greek word λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων. Liddell & Scott (LSJ) 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 word has 172 letters, 78 syllables, and 182 Latin characters. It is the longest word ever to appear in literature according to Guinness World Records (1990).[3]
Variant forms
The form of the word quoted here is in fact, the one listed in LSJ (1940) and quoted therein as having been amended by August Meineke;[2] in contrast to this and for example, F.W. Hall and W.M. Geldart's 1907 edition of Aristophanis Comoediae (used in the Assemblywomen story) reads (difference in bold):
λοπαδο
Description
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
- rooster
- 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] lepadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphioparomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephaliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon. [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.— translation ed. Eugene O'Neill, 1938[1]
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".[5]
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."[6]
Older English verse translation by Rev. Rowland Smith (1833) destroys the originally 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 translation edited by O'Neill, quoted above, does not translate this word and uses only a transliteration.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae (ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.), line 1163". Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- 1 2 λοπαδο
τεμαχο . Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.σελαχο γαλεο κρανιο λειψανο δριμ υποτριμματο σιλφιο καραβο μελιτο κατακεχυμενο κιχλεπικοσσυφο φαττο περιστερ αλεκτρυον οπτοκεφαλλιο κιγκλο πελειο λαγῳο σιραιο βαφη τραγανο πτερύγων - 1 2 Guinness Book of World Records, 1990 ed, pg. 129 ISBN 0-8069-5790-5
- ↑ Aristophanes (1907). "1169–1175". Aristophanis Comoediae. 2 (F.W. Hall and W.M. Geldart ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- ↑ "Leo Strauss: On Aristophanes' Ecclesiazusae, & translation [1966]". Archive.org. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "The Ecclesiazusae of Aristophanes". Archive.org. Retrieved 2013-03-20.