Thursday, February 09, 2006

Made up words

Last night in my dreams I was writing a word that does not exist in the English language, but I think maybe it should:

"selece" (seh-LEESS), meaning "to serenely accept and release."

Can you of an English word that carries the same meaning? I can't. Which leads me to wonder how we might be different if we had such a word to use.

A very young friend of mine made up the phrase "sploojl splotch" to denote the warm place that a person or animal leaves behind after sitting a while — a coveted spot during our northerly winters.

Have you ever made up a word and used it?

12 Comments:

Blogger Zhoen said...

Sproil, for the spray oil in a can.

Tunachicken, for the chicken that comes in the little round cans.

I also recommend The meaning of Lif, Douglas Adams dictionary of place names that should get up off the map and mean something, when there are so many experiences that need names.

2/09/2006 5:21 PM  
Blogger MB said...

Zhoen, I use made up words frequently, as a sort of shorthand with friends I know well - a kind of inside joke, I suppose. But all day I've been unable to think of examples. They'll come, probably in the middle of the night. Too tired now, I guess. The Deeper Meaning of Liff looks good for some snorts, thanks.

2/09/2006 5:38 PM  
Blogger Brenda Clews said...

This post makes me smile. It's whimsical. The warm spot that's just been left, and to be coveted. And there is surely much we can serenely accept and release...selece.

Sometimes I make up a word - like photopoem - but find later it's in use already.

Adding to the lexicon, it'd be fun, but you'd have to define your made-up words every time you used them!

Selece is in our dictionary now, though. -:)

2/09/2006 6:25 PM  
Blogger MB said...

I thought of another. Meefy, which is an adjective to describe an emotional state that is slightly wimpy and in want of cuddling and reassurance.

2/09/2006 6:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't think of anything but two words to describe serenely accepting and then releasing. I love the action ... we definitely need your word.

2/10/2006 7:58 AM  
Blogger MB said...

Brenda, yes, completely whimsical. And yes, realistically there's a limit to the usefulness of such words. It just scratches an itch for me.

Karen, salugenic is a good one! We could use a word like that.

2/10/2006 8:00 AM  
Blogger MB said...

Becca! We must have been posting at the same time. Well, I know that I could use a word like that. (Whether I'll really use it with anybody but myself...)

2/10/2006 8:30 AM  
Blogger Jean said...

"selece" (seh-LEESS), signifiant serenely pour accepter et libérer.

Une grande vérité difficile à respecter .

2/11/2006 4:37 AM  
Blogger leslee said...

selece I don't know of a word carrying this meaning, but it fits what it felt like to take off my painful shoes the other night.

2/11/2006 11:06 AM  
Blogger MB said...

Jean, oui, c'est tres difficile, et parfois impossible, peut-etre. Mais on peut toujours essayer et esperer, n'est-ce pas? C'est un effort a quel j'aspire souvent. Mais je suis humaine avec de faiblesse!

Leslee, touche! ;-)

2/12/2006 2:27 PM  
Blogger Patrick M. Tracy said...

MB,

"Selece" (in Gen X, middle era)--"Whatever"

As in, "Man, that's harsh."
"Yeah. You know, whatever."

"Sploojl Splotch" --how about "Afterperson" or "Temptrace"

I will come up with an undiscovered word from time to time, but I rarely remember them.

2/13/2006 1:03 PM  
Blogger MB said...

Firehawk, you make an interesting comparison! However, I think that "whatever" connotes more dismissal than acceptance, doesn't it? ... and for "sploojl splotch" maybe "heatshadow"? You got me thinking and I like that!

2/19/2006 12:42 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home