Where do new words come from? - Marcel Danesi

Summary

The script explores the dynamic nature of the English language, highlighting how approximately 1,000 new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary annually. It delves into the sources of these words, including borrowing from other languages, combining existing words, and reviving obsolete ones with new meanings. The script also examines the process by which words become mainstream, emphasizing the role of ordinary people and the internet in spreading catchy and useful terms. It concludes by illustrating the self-referential phenomenon of words like 'meme' and 'autological,' reflecting on the way words evolve to represent our world and communication.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Oxford English Dictionary adds approximately 1,000 new words annually to keep pace with societal and technological evolution.
• 🌐 English has a rich history of borrowing words from other languages, accounting for nearly half of its vocabulary, to express new ideas and concepts.
• 🏛️ Words like 'altar' and 'jury' were introduced to England through cultural exchanges with Rome and France, reflecting the influence of legal and religious concepts.
• 🍲 Trade and cultural interactions have also contributed to the English language, with words like 'coffee', 'spaghetti', and 'curry' entering the lexicon from various cuisines.
• 🔬 Scientific advancements have led to the creation of new words, such as 'clone', derived from Ancient Greek, to describe modern concepts.
• 🌐 English not only borrows from other languages but also lends words like 'software', showcasing a dynamic and reciprocal linguistic exchange.
• 🔄 The process of creating new words can involve combining existing words into compound words (e.g., 'airport', 'starfish') or by blending parts of words (e.g., 'spork', 'brunch', 'internet').
• 🔄 Obsolete words can be revitalized by adopting new meanings, as seen with 'villain' and 'geek', which have evolved significantly over time.
• 🔄 The evolution of word meanings can also occur through irony, metaphor, or misuse, as exemplified by words like 'sick' or 'wicked' being used to express admiration.
• 🌐 The mainstream adoption of new words often stems from their usefulness and catchiness, as influenced by ordinary people and cultural propagation, rather than official sources.
• 🌐 The term 'meme' itself exemplifies how new words can become part of the language, starting as a concept from Richard Dawkins and evolving with the help of the internet.
• 🔄 Words are autological when they describe the process of their own creation or existence, reflecting the dynamic nature of language and its adaptation to societal changes.

Q & A

How many new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary each year?

Approximately 1,000 new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary annually.

What is one of the ways new words are introduced into the English language?

One way new words are introduced is by absorbing words from other languages.

How has English borrowed words from other languages throughout its history?

English has borrowed words from other languages due to historical, cultural, and trade influences, with nearly half of its vocabulary coming directly from other languages.

What are some examples of words borrowed from other languages due to the introduction of new concepts or items?

Examples include 'altar' and 'jury' from Rome and France, and 'coffee' from Arabic, 'spaghetti' from Italian, and 'curry' from India.

Why do scientists sometimes use classical languages to name new concepts?

Scientists use classical languages to name new concepts because they often have the right word for a complex idea or emotion, or to describe a new scientific phenomenon.

What is the origin of the word 'clone' and how does it relate to its modern meaning?

The word 'clone' comes from the Ancient Greek word for twig, which describes creating a new plant from a piece of the old, relating to the modern concept of creating a genetically identical copy.

How do compound words and word blends contribute to the English vocabulary?

Compound words and word blends contribute to the vocabulary by combining existing words or parts of words to convey a new concept, such as 'airport', 'starfish', 'spork', 'brunch', or 'internet'.

What is an example of a word that has changed meaning over time and why did its meaning change?

The word 'villain' originally meant a peasant farmer but changed to mean someone not bound by the knightly code of chivalry, reflecting a shift in social attitudes.

How can words come to mean their opposite through irony, metaphor, or misuse?

Words can come to mean their opposite through various linguistic processes, such as when 'sick' or 'wicked' are used to describe something literally amazing.

What role do ordinary people play in the mainstream adoption of new words?

Ordinary people play a significant role in spreading words that are useful and catchy, which can then become mainstream through widespread usage and acceptance.

How did the word 'meme' evolve and what does it describe in the context of language?

The word 'meme', coined by Richard Dawkins, originally described how ideas and symbols propagate through culture. With the advent of the Internet, it came to refer specifically to a kind of image that spreads rapidly online, illustrating the process of how words become part of language.

What is the term for a word that describes itself and why is 'meme' considered autological?

The term is 'autological'. 'Meme' is considered autological because it not only describes the process of how words become part of language, but the word itself became popular through the same process.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Evolution of Language: New Words in the Dictionary

This paragraph delves into the annual addition of approximately 1,000 new words to the Oxford English Dictionary. It explores the origins of these words and how they integrate into our daily lives. With a vast vocabulary already in use, the English language continues to evolve to express new concepts and ideas. The paragraph highlights the process of absorbing words from other languages, which accounts for nearly half of the English vocabulary, often due to the adoption of new concepts, inventions, or even entire cultural elements. It also touches on the use of classical languages in scientific nomenclature, such as 'clone' from Ancient Greek, and the reciprocal influence of English on other languages, exemplified by the word 'software'. Additionally, the paragraph introduces the concept of creating new words through compounding or blending existing words, making them easily understandable, and the revival of obsolete words with new meanings, such as 'villain' and 'geek'. The discussion concludes with the idea that while some words become mainstream, others fade away, often due to their utility and catchiness, with the ultimate decision on word adoption resting with the people rather than official sources.

Keywords

💡Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary is a prestigious publication that documents the English language as it evolves, adding approximately 1,000 new words annually. It serves as a testament to the dynamic nature of language and its ability to adapt to societal changes. The script mentions this dictionary to illustrate how new words are officially recognized and integrated into everyday use.

💡Language Borrowing

Language borrowing refers to the process by which a language adopts words from another language, often due to cultural exchange, trade, or the need to describe new concepts or items. The script explains that nearly half of the English vocabulary comes from other languages, highlighting examples such as 'coffee' from Arabic, 'spaghetti' from Italian, and 'curry' from Indian languages, which enrich the English lexicon.

💡Classical Languages

Classical languages, such as Ancient Greek and Latin, have significantly contributed to the English language, especially in scientific and technical terminology. The script uses the word 'clone' as an example, derived from the Greek word for twig, to show how these languages are used to coin new terms that describe modern concepts.

💡Compound Words

Compound words are formed by combining two or more existing words to create a new term that conveys a distinct concept. The script mentions 'airport' and 'starfish' as examples, demonstrating how compound words can succinctly express complex ideas and are often easily understood when heard for the first time.

💡Clipping and Blending

Clipping and blending involve shortening or combining parts of existing words to form new words, such as 'spork' from 'spoon' and 'fork', or 'brunch' from 'breakfast' and 'lunch'. The script illustrates this process as a creative way to fill vocabulary gaps and how these new words can quickly become part of everyday language.

💡Obsolete Words

Obsolete words are those that were once commonly used but have fallen out of use or changed meaning over time. The script points out that words like 'villain' and 'geek' have evolved in meaning, with 'villain' shifting from a peasant farmer to a bad person, showing how language reflects and adapts to societal changes.

💡Ironic Usage

Ironic usage occurs when a word takes on a meaning opposite to its original definition, often through metaphor, misuse, or cultural shifts. The script cites 'sick' and 'wicked' as examples, which are now used to describe something amazing, highlighting the playful and flexible nature of language.

💡Mainstream Adoption

Mainstream adoption refers to the process by which new words or concepts become widely accepted and used in everyday language. The script discusses how some words become mainstream due to official recognition or popularization through culture, such as the word 'meme', which was coined by Richard Dawkins and later adopted to describe viral internet content.

💡Autological Words

Autological words are terms that describe themselves, such as 'short' being a short word or 'bilingual' referring to the ability to speak two languages. The script introduces this concept to highlight the self-referential nature of some words, using 'meme' as an example that not only describes its own propagation but also became a meme itself.

💡Cultural Propagation

Cultural propagation is the spread of ideas, symbols, or behaviors within a culture, akin to how genes propagate through a population. The script uses the term 'meme', coined by Richard Dawkins, to describe this phenomenon, illustrating how the internet has accelerated the process and made it observable in real-time.

💡Language Evolution

Language evolution is the ongoing process of change and development in a language over time, influenced by social, technological, and cultural factors. The script discusses various mechanisms of language evolution, such as borrowing, compounding, and redefining obsolete words, to emphasize how language is a living, breathing aspect of human culture.

Highlights

Around 1,000 new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary every year.

New words are needed as our world changes and new ideas emerge.

English has borrowed nearly half of its vocabulary from other languages.

Words are absorbed from other languages due to cultural and trade exchanges.

Classical languages are used to name new scientific concepts.

The English language lends words to other languages worldwide.

New words are created by combining existing words into compound words.

Clipping and blending parts of words create new words like 'spork' and 'brunch'.

Obsolete words can gain new meanings and re-enter common usage.

Words can evolve to mean their opposite through irony or misuse.

The mainstream adoption of new words is influenced by usefulness and catchiness.

The word 'meme' was coined in the 1970s to describe the propagation of ideas and symbols.

The Internet has accelerated the popularization of new words and concepts.

The term 'autological' describes words that define themselves.

The lifespan and impact of words vary greatly, from millennia to extinction.

Words are created in various ways, reflecting our world and communication methods.

Transcripts

Every year, about 1,000 new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Where do they come from,

and how do they make it into our everyday lives?

With over 170,000 words currently in use in the English language,

it might seem we already have plenty.

Yet, as our world changes,

new ideas and inventions spring forth,

and science progresses,

our existing words leave gaps in what we want to express

and we fill those gaps in several ingenious,

practical,

and occasionally peculiar ways.

One way is to absorb a word from another language.

English has borrowed so many words over its history

that nearly half of its vocabulary comes directly from other languages.

Sometimes, this is simply because the thing the word describes

was borrowed itself.

Rome and France brought legal and religious concepts,

like altar and jury, to Medieval England,

while trade brought crops and cuisine,

like Arabic coffee,

Italian spaghetti,

and Indian curry.

But sometimes, another language has just the right word

for a complex idea or emotion,

like naïveté

machismo,

or schadenfreude.

Scientists also use classical languages to name new concepts.

Clone, for example, was derived from the Ancient Greek word for twig

to describe creating a new plant from a piece of the old.

And today, the process works both ways,

with English lending words like software to languages all over the world.

Another popular way to fill a vocabulary gap

is by combining existing words that each convey part of the new concept.

This can be done by combining two whole words into a compound word,

like airport

or starfish,

or by clipping and blending parts of words together, like spork,

brunch,

or internet.

And unlike borrowings from other languages,

these can often be understood the first time you hear them.

And sometimes a new word isn't new at all.

Obsolete words gain new life by adopting new meanings.

Villain originally meant a peasant farmer, but in a twist of aristocratic snobbery

came to mean someone not bound by the knightly code of chivalry

and, therefore, a bad person.

A geek went from being a carnival performer

to any strange person

to a specific type of awkward genius.

And other times, words come to mean their opposite through irony,

metaphor,

or misuse,

like when sick or wicked are used to describe something literally amazing.

But if words can be formed in all these ways,

why do some become mainstream while others fall out of use

or never catch on in the first place?

Sometimes, the answer is simple,

as when scientists or companies give an official name to a new discovery

or technology.

And some countries have language academies to make the decisions.

But for the most part, official sources like dictionaries

only document current usage.

New words don't originate from above, but from ordinary people

spreading words that hit the right combination

of useful and catchy.

Take the word meme,

coined in the 1970s by sociobiologist Richard Dawkins

from the Ancient Greek for imitation.

He used it to describe how ideas and symbols propagate through a culture

like genes through a population.

With the advent of the Internet,

the process became directly observable in how jokes and images

were popularized at lightning speed.

And soon, the word came to refer to a certain kind of image.

So meme not only describes how words become part of language,

the word is a meme itself.

And there's a word for this phenomenon of words that describe themselves:

autological.

Not all new words are created equal.

Some stick around for millennia,

some adapt to changing times,

and others die off.

Some relay information,

some interpret it,

but the way these words are created

and the journey they take to become part of our speech

tells us a lot about our world and how we communicate within it.