4/13/09
NEW ONES FOR THE BOOK
Our language keeps growing right in front of our eyes and ears. For instance: Locavore. Can you define it? Another is detritivore. Want to take a guess as to its meaning?
To define these newly-created words, start with "vore." Consider the meaning of carnivore, frugivore, herbivore, omnivore, devour and voracious. Now what word(s) does "loca-" bring to mind? Perhaps, locality, locate, locale and local spring out. If you decide on "local," put it with "vore." Drop the last "l" off of local, and you have the new word: Locavore, a.k.a Local eater.
In my area, locavores are common. They're the folks who seek out food grown or produced within a 100 miles of where they live. Locavores are creating a demand for this type of food rather than what is available at the local grocery stores. Locavore is an example of how our vocabulary grows. Last November, the New Oxford American Dictionary declared locavore the word of the year.
We also have detritivores. To get your brain thinking, start with detriti-. What word starts out the same way? Does it remind you of detritus? If so, you’re on the right track. Detritivores are scavengers that feed on dead plants and animals or their waste. Don’t say “ugh!” Something in nature has to do this work!
2007 supposedly brought us w00t, an interjection expressing joy (it could be after a triumph, or for no reason at all); similar in use to the word "yay", but it’s not in my vocabulary— at least not yet! w00t! I won the contest!
“Bailout” was the pick by the American Dialect Society’s 19th annual word for 2008. I’d say they got that right, wouldn’t you? In the specific sense used most frequently in 2008, bailout refers to the rescue by the government of companies on the brink of failure, including large players in the banking industry.
Way back in 2001, google became a word. Now it's a very commonly-used word. We google people, word meanings, and just about anything we wish to know. 2003 brought Wall-Mart effect, helicopter parent and chick flick. By then, NIMBY, a 1997 contribution, was an old hat, along with phishing, social networking McMansion and soccer moms. Can we even remember our world without "e-mail"?
Before 2005, podcasting was an arcane activity, the domain of a few techies and self-admitted "geeks." Now you can hear everything from NASCAR coverage to NPR"s All Things Considered in downloadable audio files called 'podcasts'. "Word of the 1990s" (web), "Word of the 20th Century" (jazz), and "Word of the Past Millennium" (she). I don’t get the last one. If you do, please explain it to me!
We call these recently-created words, terms or phrases "neologisms." They describe new concepts while making older terminology sound more contemporary. They identify inventions, new phenomena or old ideas that have taken on a new cultural meaning.
What words can you and your students come up with that describe methods of transportation after 1850? I'm not going to help you out here, but your classes' brainstorming should produce an interesting array.
If this interests you, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_the_year.
Since this is a very busy time of the year, I'm going to end this Ellie's Word right here. Enjoy your upcoming break from the classroom, but keep on thinking about neologisms!
That's my word this time.
Ellie
