Writing New Words for the Dictionary
by Now anyone can add a new word into the dictionary.
Blogophiles run the risk of ‘doocing’ if they recklessly post their frustrations on weblogs. Dooce has multiple shades of meaning: it could refer to losing jobs because of ranting on the net about the workplace, it could mean being constipated or it could refer to person lacking in creative ideas, or it may be just ‘dude’ spelt wrongly.
Other interesting examples of neologisms are affluenza, administrivia (administrative trivia), and ‘smoking memo’, which contains, like a smoking gun, irrefutable evidence of a crime.
A blog written by a celebrity is ‘celeblog’. Of course, celebrities spawn creative words by their quirky behavior. Tom Cruise’s sofa leaping on The Oprah Show has made ‘jump the couch’ illustrative of strange and random behavior.
How do you refer to your friends who are as close as your family? Framily would describe them. But if the friend behaves like an enemy and proves to be untrustworthy, he is your frienemy(FREN.uh.mee). You may ‘defriend’ him by removing him from your list of friends on a social networking site.
Now anyone can help put a new word into dictionary. Next time, when you notice a new word — on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online — and discover that it’s not in the dictionary, then you can send it online to Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary. If a word has been in public usage for a long time such that people can understand it without any explanation, then it’s time for it to be included in the dictionary.
As a wordsmith, you may combine existing words or give words new and unique suffixes or prefixes. For example, using the base word ‘logos’, many words have been created —Logolepsy – an obsession with words, logophiles lover of words, Logorrhea – excessively wordy.
Wiktionary is another such dictionary that is user-generated. Generally a word must have existed for a reasonable period of time in a number of different contexts. This guarantees its staying power and helps it to become a permanent part of the English language. The process may take a few years as lexicographers collect references to the new words used in the media to determine if they should be included in the dictionary.
Creative new words and expressions recently submitted by the public to Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary include the following words:
webisode: web episode, a film for Internet viewing, presented as part of a series.
screenager: an always-online 12- to 18-year teenager.
babymoon: a short vacation for a couple before the birth of their child
blamestorm: a disparaging storm of blame that ensues from a meeting fixed to discuss a failed project.
aerobicized : toned by aerobic exercise
mouse potato: similar to couch potato; a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer
You may like to read Creative New Words for a few laughs.
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Post CommentDee Gold
On March 8, 2009 at 8:58 am
cool
monica55
On March 8, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Thanks for this informative piece. I never thought of the idea, but makes sense.
Monica
CutestPrincess
On March 9, 2009 at 3:36 pm
very interesting piece…
Bullwinkle Muse
On March 11, 2009 at 7:29 am
I enjoy studying words and, so, thoroughly enjoyed your choice of subject. NIcely written.
vim3
On March 13, 2009 at 12:01 am
I am a student of language and I find this article very interesting and informative. Thanks.
Ramalingam
On March 13, 2009 at 9:17 am
Interesting and useful.If there is a word ‘befriend’ why not there be a ‘defriend’?, if there is a ‘honeymoon’ for the newly married couples, why not there be a ‘babymoon’ just before the birth of a baby?If there is a ‘hot potato’to explain difficult situation and problem, why not there be a ‘mouse potato’to define a man addicted to a computer or its mouse.In Tamil a person who is mad after his wife or scrupulously obey his wife is known as ‘Pendattidasan’Then can we call him in English as ‘wife potato’?A thought provoking article.Thank you.
Rana Sinha
On March 23, 2009 at 9:09 am
Nice and useful article. I’ll send this to some friends.
Resounding Glass
On April 8, 2009 at 3:28 am
Very interesting article and well written too. It was also very informative and I learned many new words; there were only a couple that I knew.
Thanks for sharing,
-Resounding Glass
manoucher parvin
On April 19, 2009 at 7:44 am
I wish to introduce the following words which appear in my latest novel”Out of the Gray: A Concerto, for Neurons and Synapses”
These new words arise from the base-word “faith”.
Faithing, faither, faithers,faithly, faithophobiac, etc.
About the author
Professor Manoucher Parvin, is widely known as a polymath. He has published novels, poetry,short stories,and numerous articles in various sciences.(See google as well as other seach engines)