Oðblgshezi (pronounced /oth-blg-SHEH-zee/, with a syllabic /L/) is the name of a "language" consisting of English written with the digits of a calculator.  You type in a number and then turn the calculator upside down to see the word.  In order to make use of all ten digits, I persuaded the Anglo-Saxon letter eth (ð) to return from retirement to stand in for ‘TH’ (whether voiced, like ð, or unvoiced, like þ).  For instance:

SHIBBOLETH (SHIBBOLEð) 937088145

Here are the 10 letters of Oðblgshezi:

I 1
Z 2
E 3
H (h) 4
S 5
G 6
L 7
B 8
TH (ð) 9
O 0

Here follows the vocabulary I have — um — calculated so far.

OTHBLGSHEZI (OðBLGShEZI) 1234567890
BBS 588
BE 38
BEE 338
BEEBE 38338
BEES 5338
BEG 638
BEGS 5638
BEIGE 36138
BEL 738
BELGIE 316738
BELIE 31738
BELIES 531738
BELIZE 321738
BELL 7738
BELLE 37738
BELLES 537738
BELLIES 5317738
BELLS 57738
BESEIGE 3613538
BESIEGE 3631538
BESIEGES 53631538
BESS 5538
BESSEL 735538
BESSIE 315538
BETH (BEð) 938
BETHEL (BEðEL) 73938
BEZEL 73238
BIB 818
BIBB 8818
BIBLE 37818
BIBLES 537818
BIBS 5818
BIG 618
BIGGISH (BIGGISh) 4516618
BIGGS 56618
BIGS 5618
BILE 3718
BILGE 36718
BILL 7718
BILLIE 317718
BILLIES 5317718
BILLS 57718
BIOS 5018
BIS 518
BIZ 218
BLEBS 58378
BLESS 55378
BLESSES 5355378
BLISS 55178
BLISSES 5355178
BLITHE (BLIðE) 39178
BLOB 8078
BLOBS 58078
BLOG 6078
BLOGS 56078
BOB 808
BOBBIE 318808
BOBBLE 378808
BOBBLES 5378808
BOBS 5808
BOG 608
BOGGLE 376608
BOGGLES 5376608
BOGIE 31608
BOGIES 531608
BOGS 5608
BOIL 7108
BOILS 57108
BOIS 5108
BOISE 35108
BOLE 3708
BOLL 7708
BOLO 0.708
BOLSHOI (BOLShOI) 1045708
BOO 0.08
BOOBIES 5318008
BOOBLESS 55378008
BOOBOO 0.08008
BOOBS 58008
BOOGIE 316008
BOOS 5008
BOOTH (BOOð) 9008
BOOTHS (BOOðS) 59008
BOOZ 2008
BOOZE 32008
BOOZES 532008
BOSE 3508
BOSH (BOSh) 4508
BOSS 5508
BOSSES 535508
BOTH (BOð) 908
EBB 883
EBBS 5883
EEL 733
EELS 5733
EGG 663
EGGS 5663
EGGSHELL (EGGShELL) 77345663
EGIS 5163
EGO 0.63
EGOS 5063
EIGHTH (EIGhð) 94613
EIGHTHS (EIGhðS) 594613
ELI 173
ELIGIBLE 37816173
ELISE 35173
ELL 773
ELLIS 51773
ELOISE 351073
ELSE 3573
ELSIE 31573
ESE 353
ETHEL (EðEL) 7393
ETHOS (EðOS) 5093
ETHOSES (EðOSES) 535093
GEE 336
GEESE 35336
GEL 736
GEO 0.36
GIBBS 58816
GIBE 3816
GIBES 53816
GIG 616
GIGGLE 376616
GIGGLES 5376616
GIGOLO 0.70616
GIGS 5616
GIL 716
GILES 53716
GILL 7716
GISELLE 3773516
GLEBE 38376
GLEE 3376
GLIB 8176
GLOB 8076
GLOBE 38076
GLOBES 538076
GLOBS 58076
GLOSS 55076
GLOZE 32076
GO 0.6
GOB 806
GOBBLE 378806
GOBBLES 5378806
GOES 5306
GOETHE (GOEðE) 39306
GOG 606
GOGGLE 376606
GOGGLES 5376606
GOGH (GOGh) 4606
GOGO 0.606
GOO 0.06
GOOGLE 376006
GOOGLES 5376006
GOOS 5006
GOOSE 35006
GOOSES 535006
GOSH (GOSh) 4506
GOTH (GOð) 906
HE (hE) 34
HEBE (hEBE) 3834
HEEL (hEEL) 7334
HEELS (hEELS) 57334
HEIGH (hEIGh) 46134
HELL (hELL) 7734
HELLISH (hELLISh) 4517734
HELLO (hELLO) 0.7734
HELLS (hELLS) 57734
HESS (hESS) 5534
HI (hI) 14
HIE (hIE) 314
HIGH (hIGh) 4614
HIGHS (hIGhS) 54614
HILL (hILL) 7714
HILLEL (hILLEL) 737714
HILLS (hILLS) 57714
HIS (hIS) 514
HISS (hISS) 5514
HISSES (hISSES) 535514
HOB (hOB) 804
HOBBES (hOBBES) 538804
HOBBIES (hOBBIES) 5318804
HOBBLE (hOBBLE) 378804
HOBBS (hOBBS) 58804
HOBO (hOBO) 0.804
HOBOES (hOBOES) 530804
HOBOS (hOBOS) 50804
HOE (hOE) 304
HOES (hOES) 5304
HOG (hOG) 604
HOGGISH (hOGGISh) 4516604
HOGS (hOGS) 5604
HOI (hOI) 104
HOLE (hOLE) 3704
HOLES (hOLES) 53704
HOLLIS (hOLLIS) 517704
HOLLO (hOLLO) 0.7704
HOSE (hOSE) 3504
HOSES (hOSES) 53504
IBIS 5181
IBISES 535181
IEEE 3331
IGLOO 0.0761
III 111
ILL 771
ILLEGIBLE 378163771
ILLS 5771
IS 51
ISIS 5151
ISLE 3751
ISLES 53751
LEE 337
LEES 5337
LEG 637
LEGIBLE 3781637
LEGLESS 5537637
LEGO 0.637
LEGOES 530637
LEGOS 50637
LEGS 5637
LEHIGH (LEhIGh) 461437
LEI 137
LEIGH (LEIGh) 46137
LEO 0.37
LESLIE 317537
LESOTHO (LESOðO) 0.90537
LESS 5537
LESSEE 335537
LETHE (LEðE) 3937
LIBEL 73817
LIBELS 573817
LIE 317
LIEGE 36317
LIES 5317
LILIES 531717
LILLIE 317717
LISE 3517
LISLE 37517
LITHE (LIðE) 3917
LIZ 217
LIZZIE 312217
LO 0.7
LOB 807
LOBBIES 5318807
LOBE 3807
LOBES 53807
LOBO 0.807
LOEB 8307
LOESS 55307
LOG 607
LOGE 3607
LOGES 53607
LOGO 0.607
LOGS 5607
LOIS 5107
LOLL 7707
LOOSE 35007
LOS 507
LOSE 3507
LOSES 53507
LOSS 5507
LOSSES 535507
LOTH (LOð) 907
LSI 157
OBESE 35380
OBI 180
OBLIGE 361780
OBOE 3080
OBSESS 553580
OBSESSES 53553580
OGLE 3760
OHIO (OhIO) 0.140
OIL 710
OILS 5710
OLE 370
OLEO 0.370
OLIO 0.170
OLLIE 31770
OOZE 3200
OOZES 53200
OSLO 0.750
OTHELLO (OðELLO) 0.77390
SEE 335
SEES 5335
SEETHE (SEEðE) 39335
SEETHES (SEEðES) 539335
SEIZE 32135
SEIZES 532135
SELL 7735
SELLS 57735
SES 535
SESSILE 3715535
SETH (SEð) 935
SHE (ShE) 345
SHELL (ShELL) 77345
SHELLOIL (ShELLOIL) 71077345
SHELLS (ShELLS) 577345
SHES (ShES) 5345
SHIBBOLETH (ShIBBOLEð) 937088145
SHIES (ShIES) 53145
SHILL (ShILL) 77145
SHILLS (ShILLS) 577145
SHILOH (ShILOh) 407145
SHISH (ShISh) 45145
SHOE (ShOE) 3045
SHOES (ShOES) 53045
SHOO (ShOO) 0.045
SHOOS (ShOOS) 50045
SIB 815
SIEGE 36315
SIEGEL 736315
SIEGES 536315
SIGH (SIGh) 4615
SIGHS (SIGhS) 54615
SILL 7715
SILLS 57715
SILO 0.715
SIS 515
SISES 53515
SISSIES 5315515
SIZE 3215
SIZES 53215
SIZZLE 372215
SIZZLES 5372215
SLEIGH (SLEIGh) 461375
SLOB 8075
SLOE 3075
SLOG 6075
SLOSH (SLOSh) 45075
SLOSHES (SLOShES) 5345075
SLOTH (SLOð) 9075
SO 0.5
SOB 805
SOBS 5805
SOIL 7105
SOILS 57105
SOL 705
SOLE 3705
SOLES 53705
SOLO 0.705
SOLOS 50705
SOLS 5705
SOOTH (SOOð) 9005
SOOTHE (SOOðE) 39005
SOOTHES (SOOðES) 539005
THE (ðE) 39
THEBES (ðEBES) 53839
THEE (ðEE) 339
THESE (ðESE) 3539
THESES (ðESES) 53539
THESIS (ðESIS) 51539
THIGH (ðIGh) 4619
THIGHS (ðIGhS) 54619
THIS (ðIS) 519
THOLE (ðOLE) 3709
THOSE (ðOSE) 3509
ZEISS 55132
ZIG 612
ZOE 302
ZOO 0.02
ZOOS 5002

 

362 words

Thanks to DNash, for suggesting "SHELLOIL – like the gasoline company.  I guess its really two words combined. Just a thought."

Thanks to Kirsten Roche for suggesting LEGO (I added LEGOES and LEGOS as well).

Thanks to Waterer from Belgium for pointing out that I was missing BOOBLESS.  I’m boobless no more…

Originally published on Langmaker.com in 2004. Photo by Grzegorz W. Tężycki shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Thanks to Audrey Winter for reminding me the original symbol was voiced only.