tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post116279132979130309..comments2023-10-25T10:16:23.924-04:00Comments on Invented Usage: inventaholismScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299970053622180647noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-79824916170648558862011-10-04T01:06:16.283-04:002011-10-04T01:06:16.283-04:00Hi, if I were to describe a person who is obssesse...Hi, if I were to describe a person who is obssessed with chairs<br />, in your opinon, which word best describes him: <br />"chairholic", "chairaholic" or "chairoholic"? Thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-12814512682990454222007-08-05T14:15:00.000-04:002007-08-05T14:15:00.000-04:00maybe you should read Language Log or somethingmaybe you should read <A HREF="http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/" REL="nofollow">Language Log</A> or somethingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-87203889697987870132007-08-04T02:34:00.000-04:002007-08-04T02:34:00.000-04:00See also "gyrocopter." It's obviously derived from...See also "gyrocopter." It's obviously derived from "gyro" (spinning) + "copter," which is nonsense. The "copter" part clearly is clearly meant to be from "helicopter," but the morphemes for that word are "helico" (spiral) and "pter" (wing). But people pulled out the "copter" part and decided that would apply to the general class of machines.<BR/><BR/>An interesting question is why it usually Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-47956937409597123382007-08-03T22:30:00.000-04:002007-08-03T22:30:00.000-04:00Yeah, no linguist worth the title would ever "comp...Yeah, no linguist worth the title would ever "complain" because actual usage of a language diverges from what might be expected. Investigating and explaining that kind of thing is how linguists pay their rent. <BR/><BR/>My personal theory, based on absolutely no research, is that the first joke word coined like this was "workaholic" or "chocoholic". "Work" and "choc" are both single syllables Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04907893064341891074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-44839738447401592152007-08-03T21:25:00.000-04:002007-08-03T21:25:00.000-04:00'-gate' is another such example. The apartment bui...'-gate' is another such example. The apartment building was called 'Watergate' but now every government scandal is 'gated. Travelgate, Lewinskygate, filegate. Heck, <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scandals_with_%22-gate%22_suffix" REL="nofollow">Wikipedia has it covered</A>.Kevin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13762035302943207077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-28703318022872158942007-08-03T20:07:00.000-04:002007-08-03T20:07:00.000-04:00Homer Simpson: I'm a rageaholic. I'm addicted to r...<I>Homer Simpson:</I> I'm a rageaholic. I'm addicted to rageahol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-45004380982731739002007-08-03T18:34:00.000-04:002007-08-03T18:34:00.000-04:00would it kill you to use initial caps in sentences...would it kill you to use initial caps in sentences? just looks sloppy, which your thinking ain't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719279.post-34121599907993073342007-08-03T18:09:00.000-04:002007-08-03T18:09:00.000-04:00This is a totally common phenomenon, and I don't a...This is a totally common phenomenon, and I don't actually think "linguists" are bothered as much as nerdy language "mavens" (see Pinker) would be. Another example is the "burger" family: cheeseburger, etc. The root of "hamburger" is "hamburg", of course, but the ham- unit feels like it refers to the meat even though it didn't originally. So we reinterpret the components and replace the "ham" Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com