Languages change all the time, which is part of what I enjoy about them. Ancient words become new again. Others become obsolete or take on new meanings altogether.
People have opinions about words because, of course, they convey what we're thinking and interested in, what we feel and believe about the world. Some of those opinions can be very strong and form the basis of arguments and violence -- swear words, race- and gender-based slurs, religious and cultural teachings, and much, much more. Words also engender peace and understanding, for which we can all be grateful. Words can be fun and make us laugh -- jingles and jokes, for instance.
Sometimes I wish I could speak a half dozen languages fluently so that I could play with all of those words as much as I do with English. I used to be fairly fluent in Spanish and do know a smattering of Ojibwe and a tiny smattering of French, but I don't know any of those languages well enough to play with the words. Too bad. Maybe next time around....
In the meantime, I will continue to play with English -- make up words , rearrange bits and pieces to suit my needs, resurrect old words that appeal to me. Here's an example of that fun:
Guess which term for a word-lover/crafter is found in a dictionary (no looking them up): wordivore, wordsmith, wordologist, languavore, wordster.
I think I coined the other words myself, though I'm not sure. Doesn't matter.
I'll post the answer tomorrow.
This is a portmanteau word from smashingmagazine.com. It means a complex technological process that is hidden from users and seems to be magic.
