Consider all two character valid roman numerals like IV, VI, IX ... up to MD.

Insert some letters in between the characters to tranform it into a valid word of shortest length and longest length for each numeral . An example is the word INDEX corresponding to the numeral IX – while this may or may not be the longest or shortest word.

**** Only valid English words are allowed. No proper names, abbreviations, acronyms, slangs or archaic words.

[2] ii
      ( 3) iwi
      (13) improvisatori

[4] iv
      ( 6) improv
      ( 7) isogriv

[6] vi
      ( 4) vagi
           vali
           vlei
      (11) violoncelli

[9] ix
      ( 4) ibex
           ilex
      (13) immunocomplex
           improvisatrix
           interlocutrix

[11] xi *
      ( 5) xysti
      ( 9) xiphopagi

[15] xv
       ----none found----

[20] xx
      ( 5) xerox
      ( 5) xerox

[40] xl
      ( 5) xylol
           xylyl
      (13) xiphiplastral
           xylographical

[51] li *
      ( 3) lei
      (12) lactobacilli
           leptocephali

[55] lv
      ( 3) lav
           lev
           luv
      ( 9) leitmotiv

[60] lx
      ( 3) lax
           lex
           lox
           lux
      (18) laryngohypopharynx

[90] xc
      ( 5) xebec
           xenic
           xeric
           xylic
      (15) xylotypographic

[101] ci
      ( 3) chi
      (18) cephalothoracopagi

[105] cv
      ( 3) civ
      ( 4) chav
           chiv

[110] cx
      ( 3) cox
      (21) cholestereohydrothorax

[150] cl
      ( 3) cal
           cel
           col
      (26) chlorophenolcamphormenthol

[200] cc
      ( 4) chic
           choc
           croc
      (29) chloromercuribenzenesulphonic

[400] cd
      ( 3) cad
           cid
           cod
           cud
      (19) calcaneoastragaloid
           cholinephospholipid
           contradistinguished
           counterdemonstrated

[501] di *
      ( 3) dei
           dui
      (17) dacryadenoscirrhi

[505] dv
      ( 3) dev
           div
      ( 4) deev
           derv

[510] dx
      ( 3) dex
           dux
      (10) dominatrix

[550] dl
      ( 3) dal
           del
           dol
      (25) dihydrodiethylstilbestrol

[600] dc
      ( 3) doc
      (21) dichlorophenoxyacetic
           dysgammaglogulinaemic

[900] cm
      ( 3) cam
           cum
           cwm
      (27) cetyldimethylbenzylammonium
           cisdiamminedichloroplatinum

[1001] mi *
      ( 3) moi
      (13) maccheroncini
           manrikigusari

[1005] mv
      ( 4) mirv
      ( 8) mazaltov
           mazeltov

[1010] mx
      ( 3) max
           mix
           mux
      (11) merveilleux

[1050] ml
      ( 3) mal
           mel
           mil
           mol
      (23) mesencephalohypophyseal

[1100] mc
      ( 3) mac
           mic
           moc
           myc
      (23) microspectrophotometric

[1500] md
      ( 3) mad
           med
           mid
           mod
           mud
      (17) microencapsulated
           microminiaturised
           microminiaturized
           mineralocorticoid
           multicontaminated
           multidenticulated
           multituberculated

[2000] mm *
      ( 3) mam
           mem
           mim
           mmm
           mom
           mum
      (18) methybenzethonium


* Roman numerals XI, LI, DI, MI, & MM may each be interpreted as two-letter English words though the definition for shortest that conforms to the criteria that some -- as opposed to any -- letters are to be inserted between the two characters, the next shortest words are given -- if any.

The source for the words of length greater than 23 letters (and a confirmation source for many of the shorter words) is Word Judge Global, an official Super Scrabble Word List that is used as a word check source for tournament play for words up to 21 letters, but also containing a small(?) list of words that are beyond the length that fit a row or column of the 21x21 grid.  SOWPODS and YAWL were also used in identifying words for this puzzle.

Edited on June 19, 2016, 1:41 am

Posted by Dej Mar on 2016-06-18 09:11:56