A “neologism” is defined as the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words. Neologisms reflect the ability of language to evolve over time. Once a word is fully accepted into everyday use, however, we no longer consider it a neologism. Technology and social media have introduced or redefined words that were neologisms to my and preceding generations but not to succeeding ones: cyberspace, web, email, google, app, cloud, spam, tablet, user-friendly, bandwidth, selfie, and webinar come to mind.
Authorism
Writers often create neologisms. Indeed Paul Dickson coined a literary neologism, “authorism” (a word, phrase or name created by an author or journalist), in 1984 for the title of his book Authorism: Words Wrought by Writers.
- Sources credit William Shakespeare with anywhere from 300 to 500 original words — swagger, scuffle, new-fangled, addiction, eyesore, bedazzled, green-eyed, lackluster — and hundreds of other first use ones. He also passed on a host of memorable phrases: all that glitters is not gold, eaten out of house and home, all’s well that end well, being cruel, only to be kind, parting is such sweet sorrow, and truth will out. If I devote too much ink to Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw will accuse me of bardolatry.
- John Milton invented pandemonium, earthshaking, fragrance, lovelorn, didactic, complacency, and debauchery, while another John (Dryden) first used the word biography. Another John (le Carré) codified words in the intelligence services: mole, pavement artists (agents skilled at blending in with the crowd or street scene to follow a target), honey pot for an operation where an agent (e.g. Mata Hari) uses sex to gain information, scalphunters (agents who vet potential defectors), and The Circus.
- I’ve followed in the footsteps of William Wordsworth, who conceived pedestrian for a person walking. After his death in 1850 at the age of 80, a friend calculated Wordsworth walked 175-thousand miles in his lifetime. A new goal for me?
- Sir Walter Scott popularized such phrases as caught red-handed, cold shoulder, go berserk, blood is thicker than water.
- Charles Dickens first used doormat, referring to a downtrodden person, in Great Expectations. Other of his neologisms include boredom, rampage, cheesiness, flummox, and butter-fingers.
- Lewis Carroll coined chortle (chuckle and snort) and galumph, which means to move heavily and clumsily (gallop and triumph).
- Dr. Seuss penned nerd to describe a socially awkward or mathematically-inclined person.
Portmanteau words
Some neologisms blend common words: glamping, bleisure, wanderlust, staycation, sitcom, biopic, dramedy, mansplain, manspread, workaholic, shopaholic, sexpert. Please don’t tell me to chillax (chill + relax), especially when I’m hangry (hungry + angry) and need to eat brunch or linner.
Pandemic-related words
social distancing, lockdown, covexit, anti‑vaxxer, doomscrolling, Zoom fatigue, covidiot covidivorce, coronababies, Blursday (an unspecified day due to the disorienting effect on time of lockdowns — and retirement)
War-related words
World War II gave us radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging), snafu (Situation Normal All Fucked Up), armed to the teeth, AWOL, bite the dust, BTO (Big Time Operator — someone who thinks he’s important), civvies, Dear John (a letter from a girlfriend or wife to end a relationship).
Weather-related words
smog (smoke + fog), mizzling (mist + drizzling), polar vortex, heat dome, atmospheric river, weather bombs, snowicane, snowmaggedon
Miscellaneous
biophilia, topophilia, shrinkflation and greedflation (in major grocery retailers), metrosexual, cisgender, incel, microagressions, woke
My list of neologisms is by no means exhaustive. Please add others in the comments below to expand and modernize my vocabulary. •
Barbara Richardson says
Can’t leave a discussion of neologisms without noting the, now controversial, Woke. And all those social media gifts: lol, omg, yolo. Do acronyms count as neologisms?
Pam McPhail says
I believe acronyms can be neologisms but, to be sure, I consulted google and read that “abbreviated neologisms in news writing can be categorized into three types: acronym, clipping, and blending.” The pandemic gave rise to WFH, which I had to de-code given I no longer work from home.
Pam McPhail says
I could also have included Karen but cringe at the term when I recall the nice Karens in my life. I won’t go to the pop-up Karen’s Diner that will offer a different experience with staff specializing in being rude.
I had to google yolo — you only live once!
Ken McLean says
Thanks for this info Pam. I was surprised by some of the authors of certain words. For example,I would not have guessed that Shakespeare had coined addiction or eyesore, nor Milton fragrance or didactic, nor Dickens boredom. Would social media abbreviations, as well as acronyms, such as “Where R U?” “2 B or not 2 B” etc count?
Pam McPhail says
Not sure about the category of social media abbreviations, Ken. I read a piece on G.O.A.T.s that claims LeBron is the greatest of all time in basketball, Tiger Woods in golf, Tom Brady in football, Serena Williams in tennis. But the indisputable generation-spanning G.O.A.T. of all G.O.A.T.s is Muhammad Ali — for whom the phrase was coined.
Marie McLean says
Fun post, Pam. I read an article which talked about “fridging” – a sexist trope in TV, film, etc. in which a female character is killed at the start to give a male character the chance to avenge her; also called WiR (Women in Refrigerators).
Pam McPhail says
Thanks for the neologism, Marie. I have not encountered it but recognize the trope.
Linda Richardson says
A very entertaining and interesting post Pam. I hadn’t heard the term “neologism” so once again, your blog has taught me something new. You mentioned “linner”, which combines lunch and dinner. I prefer “brinner” which combines breakfast and dinner; brunch being my favorite meal.
Pam McPhail says
I recall enjoying a delicious brunch at your home last October, Linda. Given it’s your favourite meal, Glen and I welcome another invitation this year.
Marilyn RB says
Fascinating, Pam! I have always been intrigued by the evolution and origin of words. Since living on the east coast, we have experienced “frostquakes”, which are weather related phenomena linked to rapid freeze and thaw cycles. While this is relatively rare, it might become a more common occurrence as climate change tempers winter’s traditional snow and icy pattern.
Pam McPhail says
I like your neologism, Marilyn, and know we’ll learn others that derive from climate change, such as “solastalgia” to describe the psychological distress caused by climate change.
Deborah Etsten says
After hearing another wonderful bed-time story, my two-year-old-grandson told my daughter that “Mickey loves words!” I’d have to agree with this sweet savvy child—neologisms or olde fangled ones, five-letter ones or 44-letter ones, I’m all ears for your wise words.