[PW] Word Book Recommendation

[John P. Dyson]

David, what do you make of this semantic oddity, widely noted since 
about the time (the 2005 season) of hurricane Katrina: the adjective 
"mandatory" has lost its meaning in the phrase "mandatory evacuation." 
It now means "not compulsory," "voluntary" or --and this is the best 
part-- "not mandatory." Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans said this 
yesterday (Thursday) with reference to hurricane Gustav:


"'We'll do what we can to encourage, cajole, push, whatever we can do 
to get people to heed this mandatory evacuation,' he announced 
Thursday."

In other words, it won't be mandatory, so people may not heed it. 
Wouldn't this be a "suit yourself evacuation?"

John Dyson



Quoting David Barnhart <dbarnhart at highlands.com>:

> There are several dictionaries of new words that have been part of the
> Barnhart tradition in dictionary-making.  They are:
> The Barnhart Dictionary of New English Since 1963 (c. 1973)
> The Second Barnhart Dictionary of New English (c. 1980)
> The Third Barnhart Dictionary of New English (c. 1990)
> The Barnhart DICTIONARY COMPANION -- a quarterly journal of new words, new
> meanings, and changes in usage (1983-present).
>
> One of the features of the last is an "Editor's Page" which addresses in the
> later issues an aspect of new words formation.
>
>> From the list of those pages you may wish to seek out:
> "Refining the Record of English" (BDC 6.1, 1991)
> "The Barnhart Dictionary of New English Since 1963" (a description by
> Clarence Barnhart of the making of BDNE; in BDC Vol. 8.4, 1993)
> "Modern Evidence of Language Change" (BDC 10.1, 1997)
> "To Enter or Not to Enter, Is That the Question?" (BDC 10.2, 1998)
> "The Stunt Word, Or, is it really real? (BDC 10.3, 1998)
> "Reviving English" (BDC 11.4, 1999)
> "Death of Words" (BDC 13.1, 2000)
>
> In the Second Barnhart Dictionary of New English there are a number  of
> entries that discuss word formation, too.
>
> Probably the most accessible other source is the introductory material in
> John Algeo's _Fifty Years Among the New Words_ (Cambridge, 1991).
>
> Should you want further input, e-mail me.
>
> Regards,
> David K. Barnhart, Editor/Publisher
> The Barnhart DICTIONARY COMPANION
> Lexik at highlands.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: project-wombat-fm-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
> [mailto:project-wombat-fm-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of
> Dennis Lien
> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 4:24 PM
> To: list at project-wombat.org
> Subject: [PW] Word Book Recommendation
>
> <snip> Several years
> ago, I bought a copy of Alan Metcalf's Predicting New Words (Houghton
> Mifflin 2002). I also have Faith Popcorn's Dictionary of the Future
> (Hyperion 2001).
>
> Can you recommend books addressing the subject of new words in the english
> language? I am not looking for books on the mechanics by which new words
> are formed or acquired by the english language. I am looking for books
> that actually predict new and future words.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jerry E. Stephens
> U.S.Court of Appeals
> Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
>
> ***********
>
> I've not read it, but this title on our new book shelf looks as
> though it may be of some use, though it's probably more involved
> with predicting the "mechanics" by which new words may be acquired
> rather than predicting specific new words themselves... but for
> what it's worth:
>
> Title:          The prodigal tongue :
> dispatches from the future of English /
> Author(s):      Abley, Mark.
> Publication:    Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co.,
> Year:   2008
> Description:    262 p. ; 24 cm.
> Language:       English
> Contents:       Roarific: the power of language change --
> Bouncebackability: how words are created and organized -- Throw away your
> dictionaries: Asian English -- Your rule will soon be here: global English
> -- Hippu hangu: language in Japan -- Radiante: languages in Los Angeles --
> Every single trend: Black English and hip-hop -- Words at future.now: language
> in cyberspace -- Whoa, how very: words and the fictional future -- The
> soul's ozone: keeping language real.
> Standard No:    ISBN: 9780618571222; 0618571221 LCCN: 2008-7270
>         SUBJECT(S)
> Descriptor:     English language -- Variation.
> English language -- Influence on foreign languages.
> English language -- Usage.
> English language -- Globalization.
> Note(s):        Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-248) and index.
> Class Descriptors:      LC: PE1074.7; Dewey: 420/.9
>
>
> Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // d-lien at umn.edu
>
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