Makin' Shit Up.

[Cobra]

Why is there no language sub-forum?

How easy is it to make up words in other languages? Nonsensical, gibberish, silly words with easy to detect meanings... but are not real words... deputized words... and yet they still convey the message?

For instance, in English, if this is your first language (or if you've been speaking it for longer than a couple weeks), you might notice that you can just tack a Y on the end of anything to turn it into an adjective. A silly adjective, but a deputized adjective nonetheless! Like computery, or envelopey, or paperclippy (can you tell I'm at work right now?).

Same goes for the suffix "ish." This thread is already a bit lame-ish.

Or prefix "un," or "re?"

Perhaps it's just the nature of Latin to which I'm referring.

Is this possible with other languages, and, if so, how do other languages deputize words? I've only listed a few ways English does it, I realize that, but just so you get the jist of what I'm talking about.

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Which then leads me to a sub-topic: actual word coinage. Not just silly words

What makes a word that does not exist worthy of coining? Context? Revolution (cultural, technological, political)? Meme? S/He who uses it? All or any?

Words that don't exist really grind my gears. Like "relisten." wtf, why isn't that a word? Does anyone who speaks even decent English not understand what that means? Would it really take one of the aforementioned catalysts to make this a word? Why?

 

[Agent Intellect]

I also wonder about the shortening of words, like saying "coo" instead of "cool" or "bro" instead of "brother" or "sup" instead of "what's up".

What's interesting is how humans are able to understand these approximations, even if they'd never heard them before - perhaps not by themselves, but if used in context.

I think "ridicularity" should be a word. What is the meaning of this 'ridicularity'? This whole thread is full of 'ridicularity'!

 

[RubberDucky451]

I tend to make up words and usually get away with it, considering people think i have a pretty good vocabulary. I assume a lot of others here could do the same thing.

 

[Cobra]

I agree. Ridicularity should def be a word. (<- see what I did there?) Although slang doesn't particularly interest me. Mostly words that have been birthed within an instant with purposely short lifespans that have only one purpose: to convey a message effectively without having to search for an appropriate, already existing word. Although, I do submit to the possibility that deputized words can become slang if used in the right way. But how?

It would be helpful to know, in future posts, what the poster's first language is, and, a brief explanation as to where/how that person learned English. Like, if Vegard Pompey happens to show up, he might start out with "Swedish, Simpsons and other television." lol. Now I hope he stops by.

 

[Dormouse]

I'm under the impression a fair amount of words find their origins in popular culture, coined by someone in, say, a movie that people enjoy quoting. Or a commercial. Like when people say robatussin after someone coughs.

Hmm, I read this kids book once about some child attempting to create a word...
And this brings to mind an urban legend (?) I once heard, that claimed the word quiz was invented by some guy who scrawled it all over the walls of his city. Eventually people started asking what it meant, or so the story goes.

 

[Ombat]

Is this possible with other languages, and, if so, how do other languages deputize words? I've only listed a few ways English does it, I realize that, but just so you get the jist of what I'm talking about.

also wonder about the shortening of words, like saying "coo" instead of "cool" or "bro" instead of "brother" or "sup" instead of "what's up".

I know the Japanese do this with many words, taking the first syllable of each word from a sentence and stringing them together.

I don't speak Japanese, so maybe someone who does could back me up on this and/or clarify.