Culture: Language: Word
Archaeologism   (+3, -1)  [vote for, against]
Recycle discarded words

There are a lot of unused words in English - many thousands of them. Great words, with a long and distinguished history, but whose meanings are - sadly - no longer required.

Rather than invent new words, let's reuse the old ones. No more cheap, tinny mid-Atlantic neologisms like "television", "Internet" and "hypertext". No more soulless corporate re-blanding with "Consignia", "Diageo" or "Accenture". Instead, let's resuscitate and reassign the likes of "pointrel", "disclander", and "suppletary", "huke", "neume" and "bronstrops". Words with a bit of pedigree.
-- whimsickle, Oct 25 2002

The Meaning of Liff http://www.amazon.c...68?v=glance&s=books
The book Terrabus lost, the source of the above list. It's by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd. [Monkfish, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Dude, Gnarley, Bodacious, Bougus.
-- Gulherme, Oct 25 2002


No more cheap, tinny mid-Atlantic neologisms like Archaeologism?
-- General Washington, Oct 25 2002


I thought we did this before with "Adopt-a-Word", but it seems to have gone to halfbakery heaven.
-- FarmerJohn, Oct 25 2002


Exactly! Even extending the MO to the *ideas* *themself*. This whimsickle sure is thorough.
-- General Washington, Oct 25 2002


[GW] Watch what you say, if you don't want the MO applied to *you*.
-- whimsickle, Oct 25 2002


It's too late, Gen. Washington is back in the flesh...and hippopotamus ivory, cow's teeth, wood and metal.
-- FarmerJohn, Oct 25 2002


Hey, I'm on your side whimsickle! I even spurned a nice greenfield name for a vintage moniker.
-- General Washington, Oct 25 2002


I had a book, not sure where it went to. It was entitled "the meaning of lif". It was a dictionary of places ,in england I believe, with meanings that would go well with them.

eg Kentucky - if something fits well it is said to be 'nice and kentucky'

...well I thought it was good.
-- Terrabus, Jan 24 2003


foolserrand, I think I love you.
-- Terrabus, Feb 02 2003


<with a poona> [foolserrand] Oooh, I’ve been happily pappling in that page - these words are wonderful! I will learn them in an ainsworth. And later, in a pleasant state of aberystwyth, I will recall those long ago days when I was still somewhat comprehensible.

Er, [Monkfish] thanks for the explanatory link. You've saved me from yet another series of embarrassments.
-- pluterday, Feb 02 2003


This could really make reading ancient literature difficult. Perhaps it was already done? Perhaps the Gilgamesh Epic was really someone's tax receipt?
-- RayfordSteele, Apr 01 2006



random, halfbakery