Big Word Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

Big Word Day occurs annually on April 21. Big Word Day focuses on words, specifically the creation of new enormous words to preserve the English language. Every language on earth contains a lexicon of terms. Over time, humans have created and refined language through speech. We incline to communicate using short words so that we can convey more meaning with fewer words. The world desperately requires Big Word Day.

The background of Big Word Day

Many of the words we use on a daily basis can be found in a dictionary. John of Garland, an Englishman, coined the term ‘dictionary’ in 1220 while writing a book titled “Dictionarius” to assist Latin diction. From that point forward, numerous endeavours were made to compose a dictionary. Before Samuel Johnson’s “A Dictionary of the English Language” was published in 1755, a more reliable English dictionary did not exist. Today, “Johnson’s Dictionary,” which was first published in 1775, is held in high regard by lexicographers. In addition to creating the methodical tone of reference books, Johnson produced a style of biography and literary analysis that was widely imitated.

His was the first dictionary to include both written and spoken English. It was also the first attempt to impose an orthography and grammar standard on the unruly English language, which lacked an academy to defend its use as correct or incorrect. For more than 150 years, “Johnson’s dictionary” was the authority on the English language, until 1884, when the Oxford University Press began developing and disseminating the “Oxford English Dictionary” in short fascicles. In 1928, twelve volumes of the “O.E.D.” were published after more than 50 years of labour on this enormous undertaking.

Webster began compiling an American Dictionary of the English Language in 1807, and he finished it during his year abroad in Paris, France, and at the University of Cambridge in 1825. Twelve thousand of the seventy thousand terms in his book had never before appeared in a dictionary. Two volumes of the second edition were published in 1840. After Webster’s demise in 1843, G & C Merriam Co. acquired his dictionary, and Encyclopaedia Britannica acquired Merriam-Webster in 1964.

BIG WORD DAY ACTIVITIES

Elevate your vocabulary

On Big Word Day, language is celebrated. Utilise these twenty-four hours to advance your conversational vocabulary to the next level, thereby making your speech more engaging and distinctive.

Learn some new vocabulary

Learn some of the longest words in the English language and attempt to use them in conversation to commemorate this day. People will be amazed if you can use these phrases in your conversations!

Study how to use big terms.

There is a multitude of less intimidating words that will still make you sound intelligent. It would be wise to review how to acquire and use these difficult words.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT WORDS

Hydroxyzine is the only word in the English language containing the letters ‘x,’ ‘y,’ and ‘z’ in that order.

The longest English word consists of nearly 190,00 letters.

The word ‘bankrupt’ comes from the Italian for ‘broken settee.’

The longest word in a major dictionary is 45 letters lengthy.

‘Crwth’ and ‘cwtch’ are the two longest vowel-free terms.

BIG WORD DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	April 21	Friday
2024	April 21	Sunday
2025	April 21	Monday
2026	April 21	Tuesday
2027	April 21	Wednesday