|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1
stranger
|
OP
stranger
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1 |
Howdy! I'm new. I love old English words and I'm really excited that I found this forum. I had a blog about words, but it's temporarily closed.
Okay, this might sound a little odd. I was (am) quite upset about the word ginormous being added to M-W. I had a dream that David Bowie, when asked for a better addition, said the word "zebrose." I then defined it as "having the qualities of a zebra."
So, that was the word I coined.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
ginormous
Am I the only person who thinks this should be spelled gianormous? Suppose so.
Welcome to the board.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
ginormous
Am I the only person who thinks this should be spelled gianormous? well, why? (Etymology: gigantic + enormous - M-W) - joe (not one to let things lie) friday edit: Merriam-Webster explains itself.
Last edited by tsuwm; 07/23/07 06:42 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773 |
lisa: As a former prescriptivist I would have felt much the same way. I also used to collect neologisms but when I found they proliferated faster than I could record them, I quit. I am dalehileman@verizon.net
dalehileman
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
I like zebroic.
welcome to the Board, elisabeth!
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
daleh, I think the trick to collecting neologisms (if one must) is to limit oneself somewhat in the manner of the dictionary wallahs. to wit, ginormous gathers 242 hits at Google[Books] and 362 at Google[News], fairly significant numbers.
-tsu wwftd (I've got some neologisms lined up for next week) master
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
well, why?
gia- as in giant and -normous as in enormous. I guess (therefore) I am.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
Am I the only personEvidently not, but mine is a minority view. gianormous 22.3K ghits ginormous 1.22M ghits
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Am I the only personEvidently not, but mine is a minority view. gianormous 22.3K ghits ginormous 1.22M ghits perhaps one day it will rate a var. Google[Books] - 7 Google[News] - 2
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773 |
tsu: I agree and often have wondered how dictionary makers decide when a word is ripe. I used this arbitrary rule in compiling my collection: I would reject it if it got fewer than 263 Ghits
dalehileman
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,421
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
805
guests, and
3
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|