How to Invent a New Word and Become Famous

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Creative verbal skills
Access to Mass media

Step 1

Recently, the word "ginormous" has come into wide-spread and popular use. The word is now being accepted by Merriam-Webster as an official word. Ginormous is a "made up" word, or "neologism." It's a combination of the words "gigantic" and "enormous." You can get your own name in the dictionary as the creator of a new word with a little hard work, creativity and some luck.
Step 2

Even though everyone thinks "ginormous" is a new word, it can be traced back at least to 1948, when the word was listed in a dictionary of British military slang. But it has only recently become popular -- some say because actor Will Ferrel used the word in his movie "Elf."
Step 3

If you want to invent a new word, or neologism, the best bet is probably to try combining two existing words, as in the case of ginormous. Other examples of combo words are "humongous" a combination or huge and enormous, and "fantabulous" a combination of fantastic and fabulous.
Step 4

Play around with a lot of ideas. See if you can come up with a neologism that not only clearly conveys a distinct meaning, but is also fun and addictive to say. For example, you may try to combine the words radical and amazing for the new word, "radamazing!" It would be used something like this: "Wow, that rock concert was radamazing!"
Step 5

Important note: I am hoping that my introduction and invention of the word "radamazing" takes off from here and become the next popular word. You are all witnesses to the fact that I invented the word "radamazing" today. If it ever gets into Websters dictionary, I hope to get complete and full credit. Now, on with the rest of the article.
Step 6

In Step 5 above, I took the first step in getting my newly invented word into the game -- I published it in the mass media -- in this case, the Internet, and more specifically, on eHow! Hopefully, this article will be read by thousands of people, and thus my new word, "radamzing" will have a chance to spread and catch on.
Step 7

Try to use your new word at every chance you get -- in your conversations, in letters you write, in e-mails -- you should even write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and use your new word. You want to kick-start your new word into general usage.
Step 8

To get credit for your new word, you must be able to prove that you are, in fact, its inventor. You accomplish this by publishing your word in an article that can be dated and copyrighted. A letter to the editor would accomplish this. I have acccomplished it right here in this article because eHow places dates on when you publish your articles.
Step 9

Some grammar snobs hate neologism because they don't like it when people use words they consider to be unreal, such as "bling" or "emo." But it's best to ignore grammar snobs and push ahead with your new word invention -- that's because all words were once neologisms. Even the word neologism itself is an invention, believed to have been "coined" in the year 1800.
Step 10

Inventing a new word that really catches on can be your claim to fame. If the word is accepted into an official dictionary, and you can prove that you invented the word, your name will go down in history in all dictionaries to come as the inventor of your word. You will practically be immortal. That would be radamazing, wouldn't it?

Comments

etaveras214 said

on 2/27/2009 I, Elvira Valentina Taveras born on February 14, 1985 have invented a new word : Pedression, this word describes the times we are living now.This is the era of the Great Pedression. The meaning of the word is to contradict contradiction. An act of contradicting the contradictory. A person who folllows this lifestyle or acts in such a maner is a pedrest. Ped comes from pediatric or children dression is the act of. Given the fact that Americans should never have allowed something like the Great Depression repeat itself the are all acting like pedrests : contradictory little kids. We are now in a time that against better logic adults are acting like children. Therefore Pedression is the word I've invented to name this phenomena we are living now. If any pyscologists, doctors, scientists or anyone important wish to discuss this with me please feel free to contact me @ etaveras214@yahoo.com.