When I was in grade school, I was fascinated with words. We had a Webster’s New American Illustrated Dictionary in our house, and it was common to see me sitting on the floor, reading the dictionary to learn new words.
My parents couldn’t understand my fascination. Why would a nine-year old girl sit inside on a beautiful summer day to read a dictionary?
Throughout school, I kept exploring words, finding out their origins in my high school and college linguistics and foreign language classes.
In grade school, my friends and I made up new words to speak in our own language. Which didn’t please our teachers.
Years later, I haven’t lost my love of learning about words.
So this week when I saw the title of Erin McKean’s TED talk, Go Ahead, Make Up New Words, memories of school friends, made-up words, and high school Spanish and German class came flooding back.
McKean begins her talk with:
I’m a lexicographer. I make dictionaries.
as she explains what she does, how we use words, and how you can use six methods to make new words in English.
Did you know we (English speakers) stole the word “kumquat” from the Chinese language? Or that electrocute is a blend word made from “electric” and “execute?”
It’s a short video, less than seven minutes. If you accept her suggestion to go forth and make new words, I’d love to know what new words you create.
Source: TED
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