Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
/ˌsuːpərˌkælɪˌfrædʒɪˌlɪstɪkˌɛkspiˌælɪˈdoʊʃəs/
adjective
Origin
English
Constructed from various Latin and Greek-sounding morphemes — extraordinarily wonderful
Overview
Meaning Now
- Used as a nonsense word to express approval, joy, or something extraordinary.
Language path
English
Earliest form
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Earliest period
1964
Journey
The word was written by the Sherman brothers for the 1964 film Mary Poppins. While many claim it was invented solely for the film, song writers Barney Young and Gloria Parker had published a song with a similar title in 1949, leading to a legal dispute regarding plagiarism.
Evolution
- 1949
Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus
“Nonsense word”
Earliest recorded usage by Gloria Parker and Barney Young.
- 1964
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
“Extraordinary”
Popularised by the Sherman Brothers in the film Mary Poppins.
Connections
Word parts
super-
prefix
above
cali-
root
beauty (Greek kalos)
fragilistic-
root
delicate (Latin fragilis)
expiali-
root
to atone (Latin expiare)
-docious
suffix
educable (Latin docere)
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.