From our family to yours: May there be peace on earth and goodwill toward men as we remember the reason for this season.
Neologisms: Newly coined words and phrases
NEOLOGISMS
A neologism is a new word or phrase, or a new sense of a word or phrase, that has not yet passed into common use.
If no new words were to appear, it would be a sign that the language was moribund;
but it is well that each new word that does appear should be scrutinized.
1. The progress of arts and sciences gives occasion for the large majority of new words; for a new thing we must have a new name; hence, for instance, motor, argon, appendicitis. It is interesting to see that the last word did not exist, or was at least too obscure to be recorded, when the Oxford Dictionary began to come out in 1888; we cannot do without it now.
2. A 'nonceword' (and the use might be extended to 'nonce-phrase' and 'nonce-sense'—the latter not necessarily, though it may be sometimes, equivalent to nonsense) is one that is constructed to serve a need of the moment. The writer is not seriously putting forward his word as one that is for the future to have an independent existence; he merely has a fancy to it for this once. The motive may be laziness, avoidance of the obvious, love of precision, or desire for a brevity or pregnancy that the language as at present constituted does not seem to him to admit of. The first two are bad motives, the third a good, and the last a mixed one. But in all cases it may be said that a writer should not indulge in these unless he is quite sure he is a good writer.
The couch-bunk under the window to conceal the summerly recliner.—Meredith.
The adjective is a nonce-sense, summerly elsewhere meaning 'such as one expects in summer'.
In Christian art we may clearly trace a parallel regenesis.—Spencer.
Opposition on the part of the loquently weaker of the pair.—Meredith.
Picturesquities.—Sladen.
The verberant twang of a musical instrument.—Meredith.
Russia's disposition is aggressive...Japan may conquer, but she will not aggress.—Times.
Though aggress is in the dictionary, every one will feel that it is rare enough to be practically a neologism, and here a nonce-word. The mere fact that it has never been brought into common use, though so obvious a form, is sufficient condemnation.
All these formations, whether happy or the reverse, may be assumed to be conscious ones: the few that now follow—we shall call them new even if they have a place in dictionaries, since they are certainly not current—are possibly unconscious:
The minutes to dinner-time were numbered, and they briskened their steps back to the house.—E. F. Benson. (quickened)
He was in some amazement at himself...remindful of the different nature...—Meredith. (mindful)
Persistent insuccess, however, did not prevent a repetition of the same question.—Times. (failure)
The best safeguard against any deplacement of the centre of gravity in the Dual Monarchy.—Times. (displacement)
Which would condemn the East to a long period of unquiet.—Times. (unrest)
Mere slips, very likely. If it is supposed that therefore they are not worth notice, the answer is that they are indeed quite unimportant in a writer who allows himself only one such slip in fifty or a hundred pages; but one who is unfortunate enough to make a second before the first has faded from the memory becomes at once a suspect. We are uneasily on the watch for his next lapse, wonder if he is not at home in the literary language, and fall into that critical temper which is the last he would choose to be read in.
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Malaprops: Words with a superficial resemblance
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| (Source: Jeff and Bill Keane, Family |
MALAPROPS
A malaprop is a word used in the belief that it has the meaning really belonging to another word that sounds like it.
Words having no connection with each other at all
but confused owing to superficial resemblance:
Mr. Barton walked forth in cape and boa, to read prayers at the workhouse, euphuistically called the 'College'.—Eliot. (euphemistically)
Euphemism is slurring over badness by giving it a good name: euphuism is a literary style full of antithesis and simile.
In the present self-deprecatory mood in which the English people find themselves.—Spectator. (self-depreciatory)
Depreciate, undervalue: deprecate, pray against.
'An irreparable colleague,' Mr. Gladstone notes in his diary.—Morley. (irreplaceable)
No dead colleague is reparable—though his loss may or may not be so—this side the Day of Judgment.
Surely he was better employed in plying the trades of tinker and smith than in having resource to vice, in running after milkmaids, for example.—Borrow. (recourse)
You may indeed have recourse to a resource, but not vice versa. You may also resort to, which makes the confusion easier.
What she would say to him, how he would take it, even the vaguest predication of their discourse, was beyond him to guess.—E. F. Benson. (prediction)
Predication has nothing to do with the future; it is a synonym, used especially in logic, for statement.
| #rhetoric #writing #teachers #education |
Malaprops: Words with the same stem 2
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Mrs. MALAPROP: Observe me, Sir Anthony. I would by no means wish a daughter of mine to be a progeny of learning; I don't think so much learning becomes a young woman; for instance, I would never let her meddle with Greek, or Hebrew, or algebra, or simony, or fluxions, or paradoxes, or such inflammatory branches of learning—neither would it be necessary for her to handle any of your mathematical, astronomical, diabolical instruments.—But, Sir Anthony, I would send her, at nine years old, to a boarding-school, in order to learn a little ingenuity and artifice. Then, sir, she should have a supercilious knowledge in accounts;—and as she grew up, I would have her instructed in geometry, that she might know something of the contagious countries;—but above all, Sir Anthony, she should be mistress of orthodoxy, that she might not mis-spell, and mis-pronounce words so shamefully as girls usually do; and likewise that she might reprehend the true meaning of what she is saying. This, Sir Anthony, is what I would have a woman know;—and I don't think there is a superstitious article in it.
MALAPROPS
A malaprop is a word used in the belief that it has the meaning really belonging to another word that sounds like it.
Words containing the same stem that cannot be easily distinguished from each other
The long drought left the torrent of which I am speaking, and such others, in a state peculiarly favorable to observance of their least action on the mountains from which they descend.—Ruskin. (observation)
Observance is obedience, compliance, etc. The Oxford Dictionary recognizes observance in the sense of watching. The act of watching is observation.
It is physical science, and experience, that man ought to consult in religion, morals, legislature, as well as in knowledge and the arts.—Morley. (legislation)
Legislature is the legislative body—in England, King, Lords, and Commons. To call back the old confusion is an offense.
The apposite display of the diamonds usually stopped the tears that began to flow hereabouts; and she would remain in a complaisant state until...—Dickens. (complacent)
Our Correspondent adds that he is fully persuaded that Rozhdestvensky has nothing more to expect from the complacency of the French authorities.—Times. (complaisance)
Complaisant is overpolite, flattering, subservient, etc. Complacent means contented, satisfied.
In the spring of that year the privilege was withdrawn from the four associated booksellers, and the continuance of the work strictly prohibited.—Morley. (continuation)
Continuation is the noun of continue, go on with: continuance of continue, remain. With continuance the meaning would be that the already published volumes (of Diderot's Encyclopaedia) were to be destroyed; but the meaning intended is that the promised volumes were not to be gone on with—which requires continuation. Again, the next two extracts, from one page, show Mr. Morley wrongly substituting continuity, which only means continuousness, for continuance.
Having arrived at a certain conclusion with regard to the continuance...of Mr. Parnell's leadership...—Gladstone.
The most cynical...could not fall a prey to such a hallucination as to suppose...that either of these communities could tolerate...so impenitent an affront as the unruffled continuity of the stained leadership.—Morley.
The Rev. Dr. Usher said he believed the writer of the first letter to be earnest in his inquiry, and agreed with him that the topic of it was transcendentally important.—Daily Telegraph.
Transcendently means in a superlative degree: transcendenially is a philosophic term for independently of experience, etc.
Until at last, gathered altogether again, they find their way down to the turf.—Ruskin. (all together)
At such times...Jimmie's better angel was always in the ascendency.—Windsor Magazine.
Was in the ascendant: had an ascendency over.
The inconsistency and evasion of the attitude of the Government.—Spectator.
Evasiveness the quality: evasion a particular act.
The requisition for a life of Christianity is 'walk in love'.—Daily Telegraph.
Requisite or requirement, the thing required: requisition, the act of requiring it.
We will here merely chronicle the procession of events.—Spectator. (progress or succession)
I was able to watch the Emperor during all these interviews, and noticed the forcible manner in which he spoke, especially to the Sultan's uncle, who came from Fez especially.—Times. (specially)
As it stands, it implies that he came chiefly from Fez, but from other places in a minor degree; it is meant to imply that he came for this particular interview, and had no other motive. The differentiation of spec- and espec- is by no means complete yet, but some uses of each are already ludicrous. Roughly, spec- means particular as opposed to general, espec- particular as opposed to ordinary; but usage must be closely watched.
That it occurs in violence to police regulations is daily apparent.—Guernsey Advertiser. (violation of)
In the field it aims at efforts of unexpected and extreme violence; the research of hostile masses, their defeat by overwhelming and relentless assault, and their wholesale destruction by rigorous pursuit.—Times. (discovery)
The object of research is laws, principles, facts, etc., not concrete things or persons. Entomological research, for instance, does not look for insects, but for facts about insects.
| #rhetoric #writing #teachers #education |
Malaprops: Words with the same stem 1
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| Malaprop Man! (Source: Frank and Ernest by Tom Thaves) |
MALAPROPS
Words containing the same stem but indisputably distinguished by a suffix or prefix
A malaprop is a word used in the belief that it has the meaning that really belongs to another word that has a similar sound.
Words containing the same stem are often confused, but some may be distinguished by a suffix or prefix.
'She writes comprehensively enough when she writes to M. de Bassompierre: he who runs may read.' In fact, Ginevra's epistles to her wealthy kinsman were commonly business documents, unequivocal applications for cash.—C. Brontë.
The context proves that comprehensibly is meant.
The working of the staff at the agent's disposal was to a great extent voluntary, and, therefore, required all the influence of judicial management in order to avoid inevitable difficulties.—Times. (judicious)
A not uncommon blunder.
By all means let us have bright, hearty, and very reverend services.—Daily Telegraph. (reverent)
Not uncommon.
He chuckled at his own perspicuity.—Corelli.
If the writer had a little more perspicuity he would have known that the Church Congress would do nothing of the kind.—Daily Telegraph.
Perspicuity is clearness or transparency: insight is perspicacity, -uity of style, -acity of mind. Very common.
Selected in the beginning, I know, for your great ability and trustfulness.—Dickens. (trustworthiness)
Wise, firm, faithless; secret, crafty, passionless; watchful and inscrutable; acute and insensate—withal perfectly decorous—what more could be desired?—C. Brontë.
Apparently for insensible in the meaning hardhearted. Though modern usage fluctuates, it seems to tend towards the meaning, stupidly unmoved by prudence or by facts; at any rate acute and insensate are incompatible.
In the meantime the colossal advertisement in the German Press of German aims, of German interests, and of German policy incontinently proceeds.—Times.
The idiomatic sense of incontinently is immediately; it seems here to be used for continually.
I was awaiting with real curiosity to hear the way in which M. Loubet would today acquit himself.—Times. (waiting)
Awaiting is always transitive.
But they too will feel the pain just where you feel it now, and they will bethink themselves the only unhappy on the earth.—Crockett.
There is no sort of authority for bethink—like think—with object and complement. To bethink oneself is to remember, or to hit upon an idea.
And Pizarro . .. established the city of Arequipa, since arisen to such commercial celebrity.—Prescott.
Arethusa arose; a difficulty arises; but to greatness we can only rise—unless, indeed, we wake to find ourselves famous; then we do arise to greatness.
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Irony: Situational
NOOOOOOOOO!
IT'S DEAD!
Situational irony is when there is an "incongruity between what is expected or intended and what actually occurs":
This was not what I expected. The hard drive on my new computer died.
This is an HP laptop, a Black Friday Special early Christmas present from my husband, given because my Compaq laptop was about ten years old, which in computer years is close to Methuselah's age.
The old computer lived through marathon work sessions, years in the tropics, and two hurricanes. It was gifted last week to a woman who promised to make it's final years comfortable.
The new computer, a Windows 8 whiz not much more than ten days old, ran like the wind, then, without a sputter, shut down.
The HP rep in India talked me through two hours of
resuscitation attempts before officially declaring the computer dead. His manager gave me three replacement options, two of which would cost (me) money. I opted for the free one: they send me a prepaid mailer within two working days, I send the dead HP, then they return a resurrected computer within 9 working days.
This was not what I expected.
This was not what I expected.
Vocabulary: Prefer the short word to the long
_-_ZooKeys-238-001-g002-2.jpeg "in-nuce.com: Prefer the short word to the long") |
| Parastratiosphecomyia sphecomyioides or soldier fly? (Source: wiki.com) |
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Prefer the short word to the long.
Below are faulty examples. The word or phrase which follows in parenthesis is a suggested correction to the sentence.
1. One of the most important reforms mentioned in the rescript is the unification of the organization of the judicial institutions and the guarantee for all the tribunals of the independence necessary for securing to all classes of the community equality before the law.—Times. (is that of the Courts, which need a uniform system, and the independence without which it is impossible for all men to be equal before the law)
2. I merely desired to point out the principal reason which I believe exists for the great exaggeration which is occasionally to be observed in the estimate of the importance of the contradiction between current Religion and current Science put forward by thinkers of reputation.—Balfour. (why, in my opinion, some well-known thinkers make out the contradiction between current religion and current science to be so much more important than it is)
3. Sir,—Will you permit me to homologate all you say today regarding that selfish minority of motorists who...—Times. (agree with)
4. On the Berlin Bourse today the prospect of a general strike was cheerfully envisaged.—Times. (faced)
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Vocabulary: Prefer the direct to circumlocution
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| Ambulatory circumlocution. (Source: Bill Keane, Family Circus) |
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Prefer the direct to circumlocution.
Circumlocution, also called periphrasis, is unnecessarily wordy, evasive, or roundabout expression.
As the word case seems to lend itself particularly to abuse, we start with more than one specimen of it in the faulty examples below. The word or phrase which follows in parenthesis is a suggested correction to the sentence.
Inaccuracies were in many cases due to cramped methods of writing.—Cambridge University Reporter. (often)
The handwriting was on the whole good, with a few examples of remarkably fine penmanship in the case both of boys and girls.—Ibid. (by both boys...)
Few candidates showed a thorough knowledge of the text of 1 Kings, and in many cases the answers lacked care.—Ibid. (many answers)
The matter will remain in abeyance until the Bishop has had time to become more fully acquainted with the diocese, and to ascertain which part of the city will be most desirable for residential purposes.—Times. (his residence)
M. Witte is taking active measures for the prompt preparation of material for the study of the question of the execution of the Imperial Ukase dealing with reforms.—Times. (actively collecting all information that may be needed before the Tsar's reform Ukase can be executed)
The Russian Government is at last face to face with the greatest crisis of the war, in the shape of the fact that the Siberian railway is no longer capable...—Spectator. (for) or (:)
Mr. J_____ O_______ has been made the recipient of a silver medal.—Guernsey Advertiser. (received)
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Vocabulary: Prefer the concrete to the abstract
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| (Source: The Art of Readable Code by Dustin Boswell and Trevor Foucher; published by O'Reilly Media) |
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Prefer the concrete word to the abstract.
1. Abstract expression and the excessive use of nouns are almost the same thing.
2.The cure consists very much, therefore, in clearing away the noun rubbish.
Nouns in the faulty sentence examples below are underlined. The sentence or phrase which follows in parenthesis is a suggested correction using fewer nouns.
The general poverty of explanation as to the diction of particular phrases seemed to point in the same direction.—Cambridge University Reporter. (It was perhaps owing to this also that the diction of particular phrases was often so badly explained.)
The signs of the times point to the necessity of the modification of the system of administration.—Times. (It is becoming clear that the administrative system must be modified.)
No year passes now without evidence of the truth of the statement that the work of government is becoming increasingly difficult.—Spectator. (Every year shows again how true it is that...)
The first private conference relating to the question of the convocation of representatives of the nation took place yesterday.—Times. (on national representation)
There seems to have been an absence of attempt at conciliation between rival sects.—Daily Telegraph. (The sects seem never even to have tried mutual conciliation.)
3. Zeal, however, must not outrun discretion in changing abstract to concrete.
Officer is concrete, and office abstract; but we do not promote to officers, as in the following quotation, but to offices—or, with more exactness in this context, to commissions.
Over 1,150 cadets of the Military Colleges were promoted to officers at the Palace of Tsarskoe Selo yesterday.—Times.
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