Testing GWD post
How To Always Have The Perfect Word
Ever feel like you just can’t find the perfect word because maybe there isn’t one?
Or maybe a word pops out in the heat of the moment that feels right, seems right – but upon further reflection, you realize, “Hmm, maybe that’s not actually a word.”
Politicians are notorious for their freewheeling use of vocabulary. Sarah Palin drew public ridicule when she posted a (now deleted) tweet calling on Muslims to “refudiate” support for the proposed Mosque at Ground Zero.
Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn’t it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate
~ Sarah Palin, Twitter, July 2010
George W. Bush was regularly lampooned for his fast and loose approach to the language. “Nucular” has earned honorary status in our lexicon.
Palin tried to save face by drawing a connection between her “creative” word play and the tradition of writers such as Shakespeare in creating new words.
Shakespeare Palin is not. But she was right in arguing that the practice of creating new words is a literary tradition that has produced some staples of the language.
Literary Lexicon
Shakespeare alone is credited with coining hundreds of new words and phrases – including accommodation, bedroom, revolting, satisfying, uneducated, and watchdog, just to name a few.
Other authors known for their neologisms include Lewis Carroll – for words such as “slithy” for “lithe” and “slimy,” and “frumious” for “fuming” and “furious” – and Anthony Burgess, who created a whole new world of slang for his droogs in A Clockwork Orange, including yarbles, gulliver, and horrorshow.
The difference between these authors and Sarah Palin is their creations were intentional to set tone, build character, and create a new type of world – they weren’t the result of a slip of the tongue or the confused mashup of two words.
Making Your Own
Channel your inner Sarah Pa – er, Shakespeare – and find opportunities to create new language in your own writing. You can take the Lewis Carroll approach and find inspiration in joining two words together, or take a cue from Anthony Burgess and adapt words from other languages (he Anglicized some Russian words to create his slang).
If you’re really clever, you can come up with entire new words on your own. It will deepen your characters and bring them to life. You’ll be seen as a writer with a unique voice who – perhaps – is breaking ground and contributing to the vocabulary of future generations.
Still need a little help?
Wiki How has created a “Create a Made-Up Word” tool to help you on your way. Also check out The Unword Dictionary and Psuedo Dictionary to get a feel for some common “made up” words that are a part of everyday language now.
For shizzle – gotta celebrate!
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Maria Rainier is a freelance writer, blog junkie, and current resident blogger at First in Education. She performs research surrounding online degrees and in her spare time, enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop at all costs.
