Coinage!

[Stratadrake]

This should be pretty simple -- simple yet interesting.

We're familiar with the term 'coinage', right? The act of creating new words for language.

Who's been through the situation where you want to describe your art to someone, yet halfway through the description you realize you need a word that you can't think of? That certain something that you know what it means, only you don't know what it is?

And then, to keep from sounding stupid, you just simply create a word out of thin air, a word designed specifically for that purpose, that isn't an official word yet could easily be one?

I know I've done that. And I know I can't be alone in this matter.

I'm not talking proper words like inventing place names or creature names. I mean words that you can use in everyday conversation for those rare times when you need one that isn't in the dictionary.

To that end, I kick off this topic with the introduction of a word I made up while typing the description for one of my creatures:

[b]reptiliarity[/b] - [i]n.[/i]
- 1. The condition or status of being reptilian; characterized by appearing and/or acting as a reptile or lizard
- 2. The sum effect of several reptilian characteristics acting or presented together

* * * * *

So then, what interesting words has everyone else made up? NO foreign words allowed (neko, kitsune, kawaii, etc.) , only words that look and sound english, yet aren't in the dictionary.
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[KFelidae]

Ooo, good one, Strata!

This happens a lot with my friends and I, but for the most part, it's very rarely something that makes sense. For instance, if we are excited about something, but simply saying "excited" won't cut it, "Mree!" is used. While "mree" itself isn't new, the fact that it can mean up to five different things depending on how it is said... Well, it's an odd thing. It can be excited (quick and high), happy (quick and mild), sad (slow and long), annoyed (quick and snarled), or unsure (long and wavering). I suppose we don't actually invent words so much as sounds that only can be spelled a certain way... ^_^

The only actual word I can think of that I'm (probably) the first to use would be "Corvish", meaning attracted to shiny things (like a crow or raven would be). Eh.


-KF

[Thirteen_Black_Roses]

When a day is dark and rainy it is 'greary.' This was born when I tried to say 'grey' and 'dreary' at the same time while complaining about the weather. A very useful word where I live.

I don't know if this counts but I think of about half my drawings as 'songpics,' from the fanfiction term 'songfic.' Mostly cause I think of them while listening to or I connect them to different songs....and then name them after different lines....Ok, shutting up now.