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Showerthoughts_Mod t1_j6m8dy7 wrote

This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.

Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"

(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)

Rule-breaking posts may result in bans.

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Sleepy_Membership_ t1_j6m8ist wrote

Well, it's true that you can't just invent a word out of thin air, but with a bit of creativity and imagination, you can certainly come up with some interesting new words! Who knows, maybe one day you could even create the next \ubiquitous\ or \supercalifragilisticexpialidocious\!

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wildadragon t1_j6m914o wrote

You can invent hundreds of thousands of words yourself(as all words have been invented since they dont exust in nature), them being accepted is the issue.

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Budget-Peanut7598 t1_j6m94it wrote

It's not that you can't invent a new word. It's that you can't invent a new word.

It's always personal.

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Jump_Like_A_Willys t1_j6mmip7 wrote

If you have the soapbox and people are listening, you could invent a word like "cromulent" like The Simpsons did, and it could become an accepted part of the language.

Shakespeare also invented words that later became accept (i.e., became perfectly cromulent).

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cooolwhiip t1_j6mncix wrote

Yes!!

"That's a made up word!" "That's a made up holidayyy"

All words and holidays are made up lol. People don't like sudden change but we will always evolve to the time we are in, including traditions and speech.

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IdiotSandwich12345 t1_j6mrkb1 wrote

Grian invented the word chobblesome and dr. Suess invented the word nerd

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ErnestOyVey t1_j6mtlq9 wrote

All words were invented at some point. Beforehand we relied on sticks and stones to communicate. Lessons were more painful back then.

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ms515 t1_j6mu9aa wrote

Yes but no. Anyone can invent a word but it’s also not really a word if nobody else in the world uses it or knows what it means.

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mystrogak t1_j6n9ibv wrote

Everyword is invented to some level. It's not like they are natural discoveries.

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PilzGalaxie t1_j6nb43z wrote

The tricky part is not inventing the word. It is getting many people to use it.

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E_B_Jamisen t1_j6nbrag wrote

This is why I love language. it's not owned by one person. its not controlled (even though so many try). its always changing always growing.

my favorite right now is how the word literal is changing to mean the exact opposite. So many people are losing their minds over the idea that people use the word "literal" to give emphasis to something figurative.

but it has happened before. if something was kinda cool, it had 'some awe' i.e. it was "awesome". but if it was full of awe it was "awefull" I dont know the progression of that word but somebody probably starting using it sarcastically ... "oh that is awe-full" and eventually it changed from being full of awe to being horrible.

Language is chaotic neutral.

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Obi_Vayne_Kenobi t1_j6nhghi wrote

Wait until you learn about the German language.

I can invent any noun right now, and all German speaking people will instantly understand it without explanation.

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Llanite t1_j6nx5z5 wrote

"You" can't invent a word.

Someone else can if they are famous or own a major TV station.

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jpett84 t1_j6o274f wrote

Here's another shower thought: Language is just an evolved form of babbling. In fact you can probably call it babbling in a way that it is taught to other people.

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SkipperFab t1_j6o3lx2 wrote

Most of the words you know weren't invented but adapted. For example: goodbye. Starting in the 16th century (approximately-im going from memory) it was an English common phrase to say "God be with ye" when parting company and this eventually was adapted to goodbye.

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-TheDerpinator- t1_j6o8d4c wrote

I think you are confused with the statement that we cannot invent things without a reference.

The very core of language and words is based on the concept of creating symbols as reference, putting those together and assign a generally accepted meaning to those symbols we now call "words ".

You can put any of the existing symbols together to create a word. All you need to do is get people to assign a collective meaning to it.

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Obi_Vayne_Kenobi t1_j6odw01 wrote

Replying to nolxus (#1,675,984)

The Redditworterfindungsbeirat meets every odd Thursday to discuss Worterfindungen on Reddit. I shall add your Worterfindung to the Redditworterfindungsbeiratsagenda for the next Redditworterfindungsbeiratstagung.

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LiamTheHuman t1_j6oexey wrote

Replying to E_B_Jamisen (#1,663,917)

what I don't get is that the way 'literal' gives emphasis was through hyperbole. Changing the definition has actually destroyed that use of the word. So people use it that way and I am literally stuck in an endless loop of logic.

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Rhueh t1_j6oj6n9 wrote

>There's a perception that you can't just invent a word...

A misperception. Of course you can invent a word, otherwise where would they come from? Not only that, but you can--and do--use existing words in an idiosyncratic way. I would argue that you can't actually use them any other way--at least, not nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. It's important to understand that everyone means something different when they use a word, and conversations can fall apart very quickly if one or another person doesn't understand that.

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matrixfan0831 t1_j6ow4jf wrote

Stop trying to make fetch happen, fetch isn’t going to happen

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Choontz t1_j6pbx3q wrote

Thank you! Now I can finally explain my aridanalitis to someone.

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