OT: is this real?

[DavidG]

I think the Guiness people and whoever made the page Narf posted need to look up the definition of word. I don't think DNA or the word Narf posted qualify.

[Fyron]

What aspects of being a word do they not qualify for? They are properly constructed strings of letters that have a real, functional meaning.

[ December 24, 2003, 16:23: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Phoenix-D]

DNA might qualify as a word since almost no one uses deoxyribonucleic acid, the long form. But the actual DNA sequences doesn't; its a code, not a word.

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
What aspects of being a word do they not qualify for? They are properly constructed strings of letters that have a real, functional meaning.

"a word is a unit of speech or writing that symbolizes or communicates a meaning. "

I don't think these 'words' have ever been used in speech or writing to communicate a meaning. But hey I could be wrong. There might actually be someone in the world who could say one of those words and use it in speech. And heck maybe somone could listen to it and get the meaning of it.

[ December 24, 2003, 16:44: Message edited by: DavidG ]

[Fyron]

Those long words have been used in written form before. Look at the website. And they most assuredly symbolize a meaning. There is no way you can dispute that part, at least.

[Geckomlis]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
What aspects of being a word do they not qualify for? They are properly constructed strings of letters that have a real, functional meaning.

word
meaningful unit of language sounds: a meaningful sound or combination of sounds that is a unit of language or its representation in a text.

[Fyron]

Which again is what those words are. They are quite meaningful units of language sounds.