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Online "Sniglets" Exercise Instructions: "Sniglets" are defined as words that don't exist, but should. There are many books and websites devoted to this phenomenon, including this one: http://www.bertc.com/sniglets.htm. Check out this site and find the definition of the following made-up words and phrases:
110 at the Equator Did the definitions seem apropos to you? Have you and your friends or family ever come up with your own words or phrases for things that don't exist? What do you think it would take for one of these words to catch on and become widely used? In summary: "Sniglets" demonstrate the phenomenon of "arbitrariness" in language. Word origin is arbitrary, meaning that there is no reason why any one of the above words or phrases couldn't become part of our collective lexicon. In order for that to happen, however, the word usage must be conventional. In order for a new word to become part of the language, people need to be able to recognize it, know its meaning and use it in the same way. So while we can all make up our own words and phrases, we need to have other people know what they mean in order for us to communicate effectively. |