Polysyllable
/ˌpɒlɪˈsɪləbəl/noun
A word consisting of several syllables, especially one with more than three.
Did you know?Its second half comes from Greek syllabē, meaning “that which is taken together,” linking ordinary speech to an ancient idea of sounds being gathered into a unit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pelh₁-
“To fill or make full; a proposed ancestral root connected with the Greek idea of abundance in polys.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
polýs
“Much, many, or abundant.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
syllabḗ
“A taking together; a group of sounds or letters joined as a unit.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
polysyllabos
“Having many syllables.”
Late Latin
Latin
polysyllabus
“Containing many syllables; borrowed from Greek.”
16th Century
English
polysyllable
“A word composed of several syllables.”
Modern English
English
polysyllable
“A word with several syllables, especially a relatively long word.”