Topic #230:
Make up a word and its definition.
We’ll pick the best invented words and highlight them in a future post.
Background: The English language, like all languages, is always changing. Words are always moving in how they are used, and older words decline in use, while new words enter common usage. Any lexicographer will tell you dictionaries are meant to record usage, rather than to define it permanently, which is why they release new dictionaries every year.
Shakespeare for example, made up many new words and changed the usage of many old words and sayings. And often words enter English from other languages. The German word schadenfreude, which means to take pleasure in other people’s misfortune, entered the language because there was no single word with that meaning.
How to come up with a new word:
- Think about a situation or a problem that’s common, that doesn’t have a single word for it, and then make one up.
- Combine two words together, like making smog from smoke + fog. This is called a portmanteau. For example, when your coffee is too hot to to drink, could be called a cofferno (coffee + inferno).
- If you know more than one language, think of a word you like from another language that’s hard to explain in English.
Currently blogless? You’re a click away from sharing your story.
Create your blog at WordPress.com
Photographess – Female Photographer 🙂
LikeLike
amado = the loved one but also amor desesperado AM- or desesper ADO which is funny, it becomes beloved
LikeLike
Spengogolist. One who practices Spengogolism.
Spengogolism. The practice of living life in your unique truth.
LikeLike
How about Teleweight — weight one gains from snacking while watching television? To use it in a sentence: She went on a diet to lose some teleweight, a result of her House-marathon addition. (substitute any popular TV program for House here)
LikeLike
sorry, meant to say addiCtion.
LikeLike
Cosmoholotech- A holistically conscious and technological cosmopolitanism.
LikeLike
Mine is megagaltasticism. Someone is already working on getting megagaltastic included in the dictionary, but I needed a noun.
Megagaltastic means having a very broad vocabulary.
LikeLike
How about “Infamiety”? Where people pride themselves for being infamously known. I typed this word out while writing a story and had to backtrack because I didn’t know why my fingers typed it out this way. It was supposed to be “infamously” but my fingers typed it as “infamiety”. I think it looks like a word so I’ll toss it in.
LikeLike
Twhining .. too much whining.
LikeLike
Voluntold: When I tell my Hot Hubbie that I have volunteered him to help in some way or another. As in, “My wife voluntold me to clean up after the neighborhood party” or “I was voluntold to help in the classroom”.
LikeLike
Hahahaha I love this one!
LikeLike
Thanks. My Hot Hubbie doesn’t like it much, but the word is catching on here in our neck of the woods. It can be so useful sometimes. Yesterday I was voluntold to help in the kiddos PTO. “Ugh,” I say with a smirk on my face.
LikeLike
I decided to share a funny one that my little girl came up with recently.
http://dorkydeb.com/2011/08/25/make-up-a-word-and-its-definition/
LikeLike
Only the cool people make new words. 🙂 Yall are fan-tab-u-lous!!
LikeLike
The word is slickery which means it is slick and slippery outside.
LikeLike
cineflicker – someone who likes flickering light that comes from a cinema’s projector. : )
LikeLike
http://thehiltonburnellfiles.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/make-up-a-word-and-its-definition/
LikeLike
stiffapopylyus- fee;ling angery, frustrated, and sad all at the same time.
LikeLike
LikeLike
ACKolade:
LikeLike
ACKcessory:
LikeLike
ACKlimate:
LikeLike
WONG adj. 1 : Way Outlandish, Nearly Galactic 2 : unusually good
Synonyms : marvelous, astounding
LikeLike
scythe-a-holic: adj. A person fascinated of the awesomeness of scythes. 😀
LikeLike
I use “prossibly” quite often which means more likely than possibly but not as likely as probably.
My favourite and most used/useful is “internot” which is what you get when the internet is not working.
And then there’s a favourite phrase which uses the word “sparrowfart” – “crack of sparrowfart” which means its so early in the morning the sparrows haven’t even had their early morning fart let alone starting singing for us! I think I got that one from my dad.
LikeLike
My son made up a word
Wobby. He calls me it for mom, just to irritate me.
LikeLike
my word is:
BLOGUIDELINES – This refers to a list of things to remember when writing blog posts. bloguidelines .. 🙂
and HAPPYNING – a happy happening. hehe
more words I previous made up are listed here: http://joknut.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/made-up-words-to-date/
Thanks! 🙂
LikeLike
I got a little carried away…
http://fishofgold.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/furious-spurious-lexis/
LikeLike
BOMB-BLAST:THE MINISTER’S ENTOURAGE WAS BOMBED BY THE DISSIDENTS,AND THERE WAS A THUNDEROUS BLAST THAT COULD BE HEARD 50KMS. AWAY!
LikeLike
It’s not a new word as in fresh this minute, more a new word that we’ve been using for some time now…
It was very amusing at the time of first use and now has a regular place in our home conversations. At least I don’t think I’ve used it when speaking with anyone else (!)
LikeLike
Oops, forgot to include the word…
Bleons – speed – as in time passing
The blog gives the background…
LikeLike
To Macguyver
To fix something improvising what is at hand
Have Macguyvered
Macguyvering
LikeLike
Not a new word, but interesting to know (try and say that fast three times in a row!)
Sesquipedalophobia or Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia- Fear of long words
LikeLike