Jackson Radcliffe's Blog - Posts Tagged "spelling"
Words that should exist but don’t
Words. I tend to think a lot about them. They seem like logical, reasonable constructions, yet they hide subtleties within them that confuse and perplex me. Perhaps if I had a Classical education I would understand them better, but as it is I am often baffled.
Today I’m thinking about words that should exist but don’t.
I don’t mean silly made-up words like fumblebluster (someone who blusts a fumble?), but sensible, logical words that really should exist, but don’t seem to have been thought of. They are like holes in the English language that could be really useful, if only someone had bothered to add them to the dictionary. Here are some examples of missing words, with some suggested meanings:
Mistrapolate – to extrapolate erroneously.
Disguided – given the wrong directions.
Mistribute – to share unfairly.
Reavoidable – worth avoiding more than once.
Obnostic – disgusted by the lack of evidence for God.
Remotional – used to describe the kind of person who breaks down in tears every single freakin’ time.
Do you see what I mean? These words should exist! They would be so useful, and there is no logical reason for them not to exist. Can anyone explain why English is so full of holes? Or perhaps you would like to propose some other non-words and suggest their possible meanings?
First published on Blog Blogger Bloggest.
Today I’m thinking about words that should exist but don’t.
I don’t mean silly made-up words like fumblebluster (someone who blusts a fumble?), but sensible, logical words that really should exist, but don’t seem to have been thought of. They are like holes in the English language that could be really useful, if only someone had bothered to add them to the dictionary. Here are some examples of missing words, with some suggested meanings:
Mistrapolate – to extrapolate erroneously.
Disguided – given the wrong directions.
Mistribute – to share unfairly.
Reavoidable – worth avoiding more than once.
Obnostic – disgusted by the lack of evidence for God.
Remotional – used to describe the kind of person who breaks down in tears every single freakin’ time.
Do you see what I mean? These words should exist! They would be so useful, and there is no logical reason for them not to exist. Can anyone explain why English is so full of holes? Or perhaps you would like to propose some other non-words and suggest their possible meanings?
First published on Blog Blogger Bloggest.
