Go ahead, make up new words!

Go ahead, make up new words!


學習語言，
運用語言，
字彙是迷人的領域。
Erin Mckean
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_McKean
Wordnik的創辦人，
https://www.wordnik.com/
鼓勵大家造新字。
她在演講對新字的看法，
簡述新字如何形成或字源。
富知識性，
又具趣味性。
對於新字，
人們的常以合不合文法，
來斷定它好或不好。
Erin Mckean說明我們要先了解grammar的定義。
grammar有兩種:
1....the unconscious rules that you follow when you speak that language. And this is what you learn when you learn a language as a child.
例如，wug這個字，
即使不認識，
native speakers也能由
a wug
類推到
two wugs
http://arnoldzwicky.org/2013/01/16/wuggiana/
2. usage
人們就常以usage的觀點排斥新字。
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage
Erin Mckean頗不認同。
她認為既然我們鼓勵在藝術、音樂、科學及科技上創新，
為何不鼓勵造新字呢?
Words are great. We should have more of them.
接著她分享字形成的六個方式:
1. borrowing, but we never give the words back
(or stealing!)
"kumquat" (from Chinese)金桔
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumquat
"caramel" (from French) 焦糖
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel
"ninja" (from Japanese)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja
2. compounding
就像樂高的組合。
例如，
heartbroken
bookworm
sandcastle
(What about "duckface'?)
3. blending
融合兩個字，成為一個字。
例如，
brunch=breakfast+ lunch
motel=motor+ hotel
edutainment=education+ entertainment
electrocute=electric+ execute
4. functional shift
擴增辭類
例如，
friend→a verb
commercial→a noun
green→a verb
5. back-formation
單字由繁到簡造新字。
例如，
editor→edit
6. acronym
把幾個字的第一個字母，組成一個字。
http://www.acronymsearch.com/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration becomes NASA.
Erin Mckean鼓勵大家造新字:
...every word is a chance to express your idea and get your meaning across!