Exploring the Origins of New Words

The video explores how new words are added to the English language, highlighting the processes of borrowing from other languages, creating compound words, and reviving obsolete terms. It discusses the factors that influence whether a word becomes mainstream and examines the concept of memes as a cultural phenomenon. The video concludes by reflecting on the dynamic nature of language and its role in communication.

Approximately how many new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary each year?

• About 500

• About 1,500

• About 1,000

• About 2,000

Which of the following is a method for creating new words in English?

• Restricting to native English words

• Borrowing from ancient texts

• Absorbing words from other languages

• Using only Latin roots

Which of the following words is an example of a word borrowed from another language?

• Airport

• Spaghetti

• Internet

• Brunch

A compound word is a word that is made up of two combined words like foot + ball = football. What is a compound word example mentioned in the video? (pick 3 correct answers)

• Spork

• Brunch

• Starfish

• Naïveté

What was the original meaning of 'villain'?

• A knight without honor

• A peasant farmer

• A carnival performer

• A strange person

What does the word 'geek' originally refer to?

• An awkward genius

• A strange person

• A carnival performer

• A technology enthusiast

What role do language academies play in the adoption of new words?

• They create new words

• They decide on new words for the dictionary

• They prevent new words from being used

• They document current usage

What is the primary way new words become part of the language?

• From ordinary people spreading them

• Through official sources

• By scientists inventing them

• By decision of language academies

Who coined the word 'meme'?

• An ancient Greek philosopher

• A medieval English scholar

• Richard Dawkins

• A modern internet user

Which word is used to describe the phenomenon of words that describe themselves?

• Meme

• Autological

• Clone

• Schadenfreude