Polysyllabic
/ˌpɑːli.səˈlæb.ɪk/noun
Having many syllables.
Did you know?Its second half comes from Greek syllabē, originally meaning a “taking together,” so even a word’s sound was once imagined as something gathered up and held.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
polýs
“many”
Ancient Greek
Greek
syllabḗ
“a taking together; a syllable”
Late Latin
Latin
polysyllabicus
“having many syllables”
16th Century
English
polysyllabic
“having many syllables”
Explore more surprising origins