In George Orwell’s 1984 the Party forces everyone to speak the language “newspeak”. Basically it was a revised form of the English language with fewer words. It also had new words that reflected the policies of the Party such as the word badthink that referred to any ideas that disagreed the Party’s policies.
The idea behind “newspeak” was that with fewer words to work with the proles (common people) would have less freedom of thought.
In this article I propose a project to be taken part of by everyone on Joeuser that aims to achieve the opposite of the newspeak. I want to invent new words for the English language to encapsulate concepts that currently aren’t well described by any existing words.
If you want to be a part of the “New Words Project” post your new words along with definitions and examples of their usage on this article’s messageboard AND on your own site with the title “The New Words Project: [insert username here][contribution number](if you make more than one)]” try to get others involved. I will later compile all the new words on another website. Keep in mind the words have to be totally new and non-redundant. the more useful the better. To get them in to popular usage start using your new words in everyday life including your blog and try to spread the word about this project.
Some ideas to get you started:
1) The english language lacks words for different kinds of love (for family, friends etc.)
2) It lacks words for different types of smells (maybe a word for the smell of wet dog is needed for example)
3) We need words for feelings that are hard to define (e.g. that sinking feeling) or mixed feelings (e.g. lustful hatred).
Here are my contributions below both of which I have been using for a couple of years.
Esqueness (Esk-Ness)
1) An abstract likeness. The likeness may be purely subjective or at least fairly cryptic. Often used when someone reminds you of someone but they don’t really look alike.
2) A likeness in terms of an abstract concept such as demeanour.
Example
1) Elton John bears an incredible esqueness to a pot plant.
2) Joey from Degrassi Junior High has an esqueness to Wheeler on Captain Planet (man how unintentionally hilarious was that show).
Nurturgulated (Ner-Ter-Gool-Ate-Ed)
1) A physical design that does that the opposite of its intended function. The design fault isn't simple human error just human idiocy.
2) An administrative process that is counter-productive. The fault in the process isn't just a kink in the system but something that was intentionally planned.
3) Anything that is obviously illogical, shitty and insane that totally drives people mad but nobody does anything about.
Things that are nurturgulated differ from things that are just plain stupid in that the nurturgulist (someone who makes things nurturgulated) truly seems to believe that their idea is brilliant. verb: nurturgulate.
Examples:
1) "This bus shelter is nurturgulated, it lets the rain in."
2) Our health system is completely nurturgulated. Its designed so that that more people get less health care OR
"In an economic rationalist effort the government has sold a government departmental building it just spent million of dollars building especially for said department. Now the government department is leasing back space in the building so it will have a place for the public servants to work...for more money than it got for selling it."
"That's nurturgulated!"
3) John Howard won the election and then proceeded to nurturgulate the health system. John Howard is a nurturgulist.