Neologism
Posted by R. Berg on January 06, 2003
In Reply to: Neologism posted by Bob on January 06, 2003
: : : I came across this work in "Made in America" by Bill Bryson (a Christmas present) and thought it was interesting. Especially meaning No. 2. From Merriam-Webster online:
:
: : Main Entry: ne·ol·o·gism
: : : Pronunciation: nE-'ä-l&-"ji-z&m
: :
: Function: noun
: : : Etymology: French néologisme, from ne- + log- + -isme
-ism
: : : Date: 1800
: : : 1 : a new word, usage, or expression
: :
: 2 : a meaningless word coined by a psychotic
: : : - ne·ol·o·gis·tic /-"ä-l&-'jis-tik/
adjective
: : Is Bryson well known in the USA? He has quite a following here in the UK. Now that he has forsaken our Yorkshire Dales and gone back stateside (to New Hampshire I think) I'm starting to miss his appearences on the BBC.
: His books are popular here, but he's not as visible a personality here as in the UK. He's a great read.
Question: How to distinguish, in an individual case, between meaning #1 and meaning #2? Hmm?