Finnegans Work — longest words

Are Joyce's hundred-letter compounds chaos? No — they are mosaics of words from a dozen languages. Automatic decompositions below.

1. Method

I took the 40 longest words of the book (the ten thunderwords among them) and, for each, found every exact substring that is a word in one of 14 dictionaries (English + 13 languages; fragments ≥4 letters, ≥5 for English). From the matches I select a non-overlapping cover of maximal total length. This detects only undistorted fragments — Joyce routinely deforms his borrowings (It. tuono → “tuonn”), so the real multilingual share is higher than measured.

2. Patterns

Mean dictionary coverage of the longest words: 79.6% — the bulk of these monsters is recognisable word-stuff, not random letters. As many as 39 of 40 words contain fragments from at least two languages (including at least one foreign) — the long compounds are systematically multilingual.

“Percussive” syllables — chunks repeated immediately inside a word (the drum-roll effect): quoi (×6), uoiq (×6), oiqu (×5), iquo (×5), car (×2), pap (×2), app (×2), ppa (×2), mac (×2), trum (×1).

3. Thunderwords — decompositions

A recognised fragment = upright type with its languages in subscript; grey = unassigned. The most striking is the second thunderclap: Scandinavian lukke (“to close”) up front — the famous door-slam thunder built on Danish lukk døren.

lukkedoerendunandurraskewdylooshoofermoyportertooryzooysphalnabortansporthaokansakroidverjkapakkapuk (100 letters, dictionary coverage 67.0%)

lukke_Dan.+Nor.·doe·rendu_Eng.+Fr.·nandu_internat.·r·raske_Dan.+Nor.·wdy·loos_Du.·hoofer_Eng.·moy·porter_internat.·tooryzooysphaln·aborta_Sp.·n·spor_{Dan.+Ir.+Nor.}·thao_Dan.+Nor.·kansa_Eng.+Fin.·kroi_Pol.·dverj·kapa_Sw.·k·kapu_Fin.·k

klikkaklakkaklaskaklopatzklatschabattacreppycrottygraddaghsemmihsammihnouithappluddyappladdypkonpkot (100 letters, dictionary coverage 67.0%)

klikka_Nor.·k·lakk_Nor.·a·klask_Dan.+Nor.·a·klop_Du.·atz·klatsch_Ger.+Eng.·abat_Fr.·t·acre_{Sp.+Fr.+Nor.+Port.}·ppy·crotty_Ir.·g·radda_Sw.·ghs·emmi_Nor.·h·sammi_internat.·h·noui_Lat.·thapp·luddy_Eng.·app·ladd_Dan.+Nor.·ypkonpkot

bothallchoractorschumminaroundgansumuminarumdrumstrumtruminahumptadumpwaultopoofoolooderamaunsturnup (100 letters, dictionary coverage 85.0%)

botha_Ir.·ll·chor_Ger.·actors_Eng.·chum_Fr.·mina_internat.·round_internat.·gans_Ger.+Du.·um·umin_Nor.·arum_Lat.·drum_internat.·strum_Eng.·t·rumina_Eng.+Lat.·hump_Fr.+Du.+Nor.·ta·dump_{Dan.+Du.+Nor.}·waul·topo_{Sp.+Fr.+It.+Port.}·o·fool_internat.·o·oder_Ger.·a·maun_Fin.·s·turnup_Eng.

husstenhasstencaffincoffintussemtossemdamandamnacosaghcusaghhobixhatouxpeswchbechoscashlcarcarcaract (100 letters, dictionary coverage 73.0%)

huss_Ger.+Nor.·tenhas_Port.·sten_internat.·caff·incoffin_Eng.·tussem_Lat.·tosse_{Dan.+It.+Port.}·m·daman_Eng.·damn_internat.·acosa_Sp.·ghcusaghhobixha·toux_Fr.·peswch·bechos_Lat.·cash_internat.·l·carcar_Lat.·caract_Eng.

bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthur (97 letters, dictionary coverage 60.8%)

baba_internat.·badal_Port.·g·hara_internat.·gh·taka_{Ger.+Fin.+Pol.}·m·minar_{Eng.+Sp.+Port.}·ronnkonn·bronn_{Dan.+Ir.+Nor.}·tonn_Ir.+Nor.·erron_Eng.·n·tuon_Fin.·nt·hunn_Nor.·trovar_It.·rhounawnskawntoohoo·hoor_Du.·denen_Ger.+Du.·thur

pappappapparrassannuaragheallachnatullaghmonganmacmacmacwhackfalltherdebblenonthedubblandadd (92 letters, dictionary coverage 71.7%)

pappa_internat.·p·papp_Nor.+Sw.·arras_Eng.·sann_Ir.+Nor.+Sw.·uara_Lat.·ghealla_Ir.·chna·tulla_{Fin.+Lat.+Nor.}·gh·mongan_Ir.·macmacmac·whack_Eng.·fallt_Ger.·herde_Ger.+Sw.·bb·leno_internat.·nthedub·blandad_Sw.·d

thingcrooklyexineverypasturesixdixlikencehimaroundhersthemaggerbykinkinkankanwithdownmind (89 letters, dictionary coverage 80.9%)

thing_internat.·crook_internat.·ly·exin_Lat.·every_internat.·pastures_Eng.·ixdix·liken_Eng.+Sw.·cehim·around_internat.·h·erst_Ger.·hem·agger_Eng.+Lat.·byki_Pol.·n·kink_Du.+Nor.·ankan_Fin.+Sw.·with_internat.·down_internat.·mind_internat.

ullhodturdenweirmudgaardgringnirurdrmolnirfenrirlukkilokkibaugimandodrrerin (75 letters, dictionary coverage 69.3%)

ullhod·turde_Dan.+Nor.·n·weir_internat.·mud·gaar_Dan.+Du.·d·grin_{Dan.+Ir.+Nor.}·gnir_Nor.·urdr·moln_Sw.·ir·fenrir_Eng.·lukk_Nor.·i·lokk_Nor.·i·baug_Nor.·i·mando_{Sp.+It.+Lat.+Port.}·drr·erin_internat.

bladyughfoulmoecklenburgwhurawhorascortastrumpapornanennykocksapastippata (73 letters, dictionary coverage 87.7%)

blady_Eng.+Pol.·ugh·foul_{Ger.+Nor.+Sw.}·moeck_Eng.·len·burg_Ger.·w·hura_Pol.·w·horas_{Eng.+Sp.+Port.+Sw.}·cortas_Sp.+Port.·trump_internat.·aporna_Sw.·nenn_Ger.·y·kock_Sw.·sapa_Lat.·stip_Du.·pata_{Sp.+Fin.+Pol.+Port.}

perkodhuskurunbarggruauyagokgorlayorgromgremmitghundhurth (57 letters, dictionary coverage 75.4%)

perk_Du.+Nor.·od·husk_Dan.+Nor.·ur·unbar_Eng.·g·gruau_Fr.·yago_Sp.·kg·orla_{Dan.+Ir.+Port.}·yor·grom_Du.+Pol.·gr·emmit_internat.·g·hund_{Dan.+Ger.+Nor.+Sw.}·hurt_internat.·h

4. The other longest words

lewdningbluebolteredallucktruckalltraumconductor (48 letters, dictionary coverage 91.7%)

lewd·ning_internat.·blue_internat.·bolter_Eng.+Nor.·edal_Fr.·luck_internat.·truc_Fr.+Ir.+Du.·kall_Nor.+Sw.·traum_Ger.·conductor_{Eng.+Sp.+Lat.}

rumathunaradidillifaititillibumullunukkunun (43 letters, dictionary coverage 55.8%)

ruma_Fin.+Lat.·thunar_Eng.·adi·dilli_Eng.·fait_{Ger.+Fr.+Nor.+Sw.}·itil·libum_Lat.·ullunukkunun

neverheedthemhorseluggarsandlisteltomine (40 letters, dictionary coverage 87.5%)

never_internat.·heed·them_internat.·horse_internat.·luggar_Eng.·sand_internat.·listel_Eng.·tomin_internat.·e

cellelleneteutoslavzendlatinsoundscript (39 letters, dictionary coverage 97.4%)

celle_{Dan.+Fr.+It.+Nor.}·llene_Sp.·teut_Du.·o·slav_Sw.·zend_Du.·latin_internat.·sound_internat.·script_internat.

ricqueracqbrimbillyjicqueyjocqjolicass (38 letters, dictionary coverage 44.7%)

ric·quer_{Ger.+Sp.+Port.}·acqbrim·billy_internat.·jicqueyjocq·joli_Fr.·cass_internat.

dullakeykongsbyogblagroggerswagginline (38 letters, dictionary coverage 76.3%)

dul·lakey_Eng.·kongs_Dan.·byog·blag_Ir.·rogge_Du.·r·swag_Nor.·g·inline_Eng.

youknowwhati'vecomeaboutisawyouract (35 letters, dictionary coverage 67.6%)

you·know_internat.·wh·ative_Port.·come_internat.·abouti_Fr.·saw·your_internat.·act

ishallassoboundbewilsothoutoosezit (34 letters, dictionary coverage 67.6%)

isha_Sp.·l·lasso_internat.·bound_Eng.·bewil·sotho_Eng.·uto·osez_Fr.·it

polthergeistkotzdondherhoploits (31 letters, dictionary coverage 41.9%)

polther·geist_{Ger.+Eng.+Fr.}·kotz_Ger.·dondherhop·loit_Fin.+Ir.·s

semperexcommunicambiambisumers (30 letters, dictionary coverage 80.0%)

semper_internat.·ex·comm_Fr.+Du.·unica_{Sp.+It.+Port.}·mb·iambi_Eng.·su·mers_Fr.+Lat.

gnomeosulphidosalamermauderman (30 letters, dictionary coverage 80.0%)

gnomeo_Dan.+Sw.·sulphid_Eng.·o·salame_{Eng.+Sp.+It.+Port.}·r·maude_internat.·rman

hierarchitectitiptitoploftical (30 letters, dictionary coverage 90.0%)

hier_Ger.+Fr.+Du.·archit_Eng.·ec·titi_Sp.+Fr.+Pol.·ptit_Fr.·o·plof_Du.·tical_Eng.

quoiquoiquoiquoiquoiquoiquoiq (29 letters, dictionary coverage 96.6%)

quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·quoi_Fr.+Lat.+Sw.·q

brideandaudeonsbehindwardborg (29 letters, dictionary coverage 93.1%)

bride_internat.·anda_internat.·u·deon_{Dan.+Du.+Nor.+Port.}·s·behind_internat.·ward_internat.·borg_internat.

kalospintheochromatokreening (28 letters, dictionary coverage 78.6%)

kalo·spin_internat.·theo_internat.·chroma_{Eng.+Ir.+Lat.+Sw.}·to·kree_internat.·ning_internat.

audiblevisiblegnosibleedible (28 letters, dictionary coverage 89.3%)

audible_Eng.·visi_It.+Lat.·bleg_Dan.·nosi_Pol.·ble·edible_Eng.

cryptoconchoidsiphonostomata (28 letters, dictionary coverage 100.0%)

crypto_Eng.·conchoid_Eng.·siphonostomata_Eng.

ppatupperstrippuckputtanach (27 letters, dictionary coverage 88.9%)

ppa·tupper_Fr.+Nor.·strip_internat.·puck_internat.·putta_Nor.+Sw.·nach_Ger.+Ir.

quasicontribusodalitarian's (27 letters, dictionary coverage 100.0%)

quas_Lat.·icon_Lat.·tribu_Sp.+Fr.+It.·soda_internat.·litar_Sw.·ians_{Dan.+Ger.+Nor.+Sw.}

barththegretebytheexchange (26 letters, dictionary coverage 76.9%)

barth_Eng.+Fr.·th·egret_Eng.·eby·thee_Ger.+Du.·x·change_internat.

The longest words: a multilingual decomposition

1. Method

2. Patterns

3. Thunderwords — decompositions

4. The other longest words