Obsolete Words
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: OBSOLETE WORDS
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
What ever happened to cassette players? You might still have one in the attic, but you won’t find any in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Editors branded the term “cassette player” obsolete and deleted it from the 12th edition. Among 200 other words that got the axe were “Euro-communism” and “growlery”. The cuts made room for 400 new entries, including “jeggings” (the word for denim leggings) and the exclamation “woot!”
The editors define “obsolete” words as “out-of-date” or “no longer in general use.” Words on their way to becoming obsolete are termed “obsolescent,” and those that are almost entirely forgotten are “archaic.” “Euro-communism” went the way of the Berlin Wall, so its deletion makes sense. But couldn’t some of us still use a “growlery”—a room where one grumbles in solitude?
Technology is responsible for making some words obsolete, as with “MP3s” replacing “cassettes.” Likewise, shifts in our society also cause shifts in our lexicon. The word “wench” was once a neutralterm for a young woman, but it’s since become an archaic slur. And the term “baseborn,” meaning “of low birth or origin,” has no currency in a democratic society.
To find new words and track fading ones, lexicographers look at all kinds of contemporary writing. But some authors intentionally use old-fashioned words to impart a sense of antiquity to their work. Tolkien, for example, added to the atmosphere of his Lord of the Rings series with archaic words like “flitter-mice”—better known as “bats.”
Obsolete words can also spice up your syntax. Some convey extremely specific ideas. To “slench” is to sneak about with the intent of stealing food, while to “groak” is to closely watch someone eating in hopes of being invited to join them. To “neeze” is to go in search of bird’s nests. And “apricity” is the warmth of the sun in the cold of winter.
Some obscure words seem worth reviving, if only for their sound. “Faffle” is unsatisfying work not worth the time invested in it. “Aflunters” is a general state of disarray.
Still other obsolete words just seem right. An “animalcule” is a microscopic animal. Something “monsterful” is awesome or extraordinary. And “cat-Latin” is either incoherent speech or bad writing. If you’re interested in expanding your vocabulary, check out some of the many websites dedicated to restoring obsolescent words. But while some of these words might seem worth reviving, the truth is they’re probably on their way out—just like those of us clinging to our cassette players.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: OBSOLETE WORDS
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
What ever happened to cassette players? You might still have one in the attic, but you won’t find any in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Editors branded the term “cassette player” obsolete and deleted it from the 12th edition. Among 200 other words that got the axe were “Euro-communism” and “growlery”. The cuts made room for 400 new entries, including “jeggings” (the word for denim leggings) and the exclamation “woot!”
The editors define “obsolete” words as “out-of-date” or “no longer in general use.” Words on their way to becoming obsolete are termed “obsolescent,” and those that are almost entirely forgotten are “archaic.” “Euro-communism” went the way of the Berlin Wall, so its deletion makes sense. But couldn’t some of us still use a “growlery”—a room where one grumbles in solitude?
Technology is responsible for making some words obsolete, as with “MP3s” replacing “cassettes.” Likewise, shifts in our society also cause shifts in our lexicon. The word “wench” was once a neutralterm for a young woman, but it’s since become an archaic slur. And the term “baseborn,” meaning “of low birth or origin,” has no currency in a democratic society.
To find new words and track fading ones, lexicographers look at all kinds of contemporary writing. But some authors intentionally use old-fashioned words to impart a sense of antiquity to their work. Tolkien, for example, added to the atmosphere of his Lord of the Rings series with archaic words like “flitter-mice”—better known as “bats.”
Obsolete words can also spice up your syntax. Some convey extremely specific ideas. To “slench” is to sneak about with the intent of stealing food, while to “groak” is to closely watch someone eating in hopes of being invited to join them. To “neeze” is to go in search of bird’s nests. And “apricity” is the warmth of the sun in the cold of winter.
Some obscure words seem worth reviving, if only for their sound. “Faffle” is unsatisfying work not worth the time invested in it. “Aflunters” is a general state of disarray.
Still other obsolete words just seem right. An “animalcule” is a microscopic animal. Something “monsterful” is awesome or extraordinary. And “cat-Latin” is either incoherent speech or bad writing. If you’re interested in expanding your vocabulary, check out some of the many websites dedicated to restoring obsolescent words. But while some of these words might seem worth reviving, the truth is they’re probably on their way out—just like those of us clinging to our cassette players.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]