The Rice University Neologisms Database

very impressive, almost superhuman This word was created in an attempt to evoke a very strong mental image, specifically of amazing feats of strength or skill. Almost every American child becomes familiar with the tall tale of Paul Bunyan as he is growing up; therefore, a word such as "Bunyanesque" would be instantly recognizable and understood by a vast majority of people. The suffix "-esque" may have been used for a variety of reasons. Phonetically, it flows smoothly from the "n" sound to the "es" because the tongue is in good position to form those two sounds consecutively. Esthetically, "-esque" evokes a more majestic connotation, as opposed to other adjective suffixes like "-y" which seems more common and mundane. "Bunyany" does not have the same effect as "Bunyanesque."