[单词大师] 第44课：Predicting New Words

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AA: Im Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble and this week on WORDMASTER -- "Predicting New Words: The Secrets of Their Success."

RS: Thats the title of a new book by our friend at the American Dialect Society, Allan Metcalf.

METCALF: "The most successful new words are what I call stealth words that enter the language and enter our vocabulary without us even noticing that they are new. And the least successful are ones that stick out like a sore thumb. For example: schmooseoisie."

AA & RS: "Hmm."

METCALF: "Thats exactly the kind of reaction you hear at schmooseoisie: hmm. Its the term that was invented by some smart person for people who earn a living by their talk. Get it? From bourgeoisie and schmoozing? And you might say thats pretty clever, but so what?"

RS: "What about the impact of ethnic diversity in the United States, in particular the Spanish-speaking world, on American English?"

METCALF: "There really isnt that much influence except in cultural areas where the whole culture has adopted things. So in foods, for example -- salsa, for example, is something that everyone knows, or tacos. The basic rule of thumb is that the dominant language usually does not pick up terminology from the subordinate language.

"So, for example, the English spoken in California, at least by those who are not of Hispanic background, has very little of Hispanic words even though there are several million people living in California who either speak Spanish or whose culture is Hispanic."

RS: "In the last chapter of your book you talk about my new word, about new words and how we could actually begin to invent words. What are some of your suggestions for doing that?"

METCALF: "Yes, well, choose a word that seems so natural that it seems like its already been around, then begin using it. And use it yourself in any way you can, use it naturally though. But dont ever succumb to the temptation to claim, Guess what, youve just used my new word, because that will turn people off."

AA: "Does it basically come down to that every new word could, if you really traced it, be traced back to say one person?"