One common aspect of the English language that I usually encounter on a daily basis is invented vocabulary. Invented words and phrases are quite common because they can be spoken and written. The three types of invented vocabulary that I would like to discuss involve imitation, reduplication, and the formation of compounds and idiomatic phrases.
Imitation vocabulary can also be defined as onomatopoeia, which consists of descriptive words that “designate a sound that is similar to the sound of the word itself” (Clark 23). Kindergarten ignited my interest in imitation vocabulary because I thought it was amusing to hear my teacher say oink oink as she was reading a story about a pig. In the last few days, I have figured out that two of the most verbal imitation words that are quite common are hiccup and meow. However, my absolute favorite onomatopoeic word is cha ching because I love the sound of old cash registers, and it implies money profit or at least some sort of gain. Another thing I think is interesting about this type of vocabulary is that it’s responsible for my stepson’s nickname which is Nert-Nert—as an infant he would constantly make that noise as he sucked on his pacifier. The most hysterical imitation phrase that I have ever read is brown chicken brown cow which imitates the common base riffs that were incorporated in pornographic movies in the 1970s—the phrase humorously insinuates something of a sexual nature.
Reduplication is another interesting form of invented vocabulary because it consists of two joined words which are somewhat alike, yet they are different. The most common reduplicated word that often I hear is kitty-cat. Another invented word that comes to mind is hokey-pokey because it reminds me of the Skate Castle, which was my favorite place to go when I was a little kid. Other common words are wishy-washy, criss-cross, and super-duper. While I was studying reduplicated words I managed to figure out that some of them are written as one word, and some are hyphenated. When reduplicated words are written as one, it means that each word contains only one syllable, such as seesaw; when they contain a hyphen, each word has two syllables, such as teeny-weenie.
Perhaps the most confusing invented vocabulary involves the formation of compounds and idiomatic phrases. For instance, a blackboard is a compound word that refers to an actual chalkboard; however, it has misled some people into believing that a blackboard refers to a board that is actually black. College students are also familiar with the word blackboard, except it usually does not represent an actual chalkboard that is black or a chalkboard in general—it’s associated with the student portal that connects us to our online classes and studies. I can imagine that compound and idiomatic phrases prove to be quite perplexing for children and people who are new to the English language. For instance, the phrase over the hill is confusing because it could lead a person to perceive the literal meaning instead of understanding that it means ‘past your prime.’ Another phrase that I feel is confusing is under the weather, which implies that you’re not feeling well. One of the most amusing and perplexing idiomatic phrases is kick the bucket which means ‘to die.’ Sometimes I even announce idiomatic phrases before I go to bed, when I commonly tell my family that I’m going to crash or piece out for the night.
After examining some of the types of invented vocabulary I feel that it’s highly important for people who intend to interact using the English language to be familiar with the different types of invented vocabulary in order to help overcome literal responses and confusion when encountering the language. Although I have discussed three types of invented vocabulary which involve imitation, reduplication, and the formation of compounds and idiomatic phrases, there are many more types of invented vocabulary that I want to keep in mind.
Works Cited
Clark, Mary M. The Structure of English for Readers, Writers, and Teachers. 2nd ed. Glen Allen, Virginia: College Publishing, 2010. Print.
Imitation vocabulary can also be defined as onomatopoeia, which consists of descriptive words that “designate a sound that is similar to the sound of the word itself” (Clark 23). Kindergarten ignited my interest in imitation vocabulary because I thought it was amusing to hear my teacher say oink oink as she was reading a story about a pig. In the last few days, I have figured out that two of the most verbal imitation words that are quite common are hiccup and meow. However, my absolute favorite onomatopoeic word is cha ching because I love the sound of old cash registers, and it implies money profit or at least some sort of gain. Another thing I think is interesting about this type of vocabulary is that it’s responsible for my stepson’s nickname which is Nert-Nert—as an infant he would constantly make that noise as he sucked on his pacifier. The most hysterical imitation phrase that I have ever read is brown chicken brown cow which imitates the common base riffs that were incorporated in pornographic movies in the 1970s—the phrase humorously insinuates something of a sexual nature.
Reduplication is another interesting form of invented vocabulary because it consists of two joined words which are somewhat alike, yet they are different. The most common reduplicated word that often I hear is kitty-cat. Another invented word that comes to mind is hokey-pokey because it reminds me of the Skate Castle, which was my favorite place to go when I was a little kid. Other common words are wishy-washy, criss-cross, and super-duper. While I was studying reduplicated words I managed to figure out that some of them are written as one word, and some are hyphenated. When reduplicated words are written as one, it means that each word contains only one syllable, such as seesaw; when they contain a hyphen, each word has two syllables, such as teeny-weenie.
Perhaps the most confusing invented vocabulary involves the formation of compounds and idiomatic phrases. For instance, a blackboard is a compound word that refers to an actual chalkboard; however, it has misled some people into believing that a blackboard refers to a board that is actually black. College students are also familiar with the word blackboard, except it usually does not represent an actual chalkboard that is black or a chalkboard in general—it’s associated with the student portal that connects us to our online classes and studies. I can imagine that compound and idiomatic phrases prove to be quite perplexing for children and people who are new to the English language. For instance, the phrase over the hill is confusing because it could lead a person to perceive the literal meaning instead of understanding that it means ‘past your prime.’ Another phrase that I feel is confusing is under the weather, which implies that you’re not feeling well. One of the most amusing and perplexing idiomatic phrases is kick the bucket which means ‘to die.’ Sometimes I even announce idiomatic phrases before I go to bed, when I commonly tell my family that I’m going to crash or piece out for the night.
After examining some of the types of invented vocabulary I feel that it’s highly important for people who intend to interact using the English language to be familiar with the different types of invented vocabulary in order to help overcome literal responses and confusion when encountering the language. Although I have discussed three types of invented vocabulary which involve imitation, reduplication, and the formation of compounds and idiomatic phrases, there are many more types of invented vocabulary that I want to keep in mind.
Works Cited
Clark, Mary M. The Structure of English for Readers, Writers, and Teachers. 2nd ed. Glen Allen, Virginia: College Publishing, 2010. Print.