English is a rich language with over a million words. Every year many new words and expressions enter the language from different parts of the world but not all of them are added to standard dictionaries. Lexicographers and dictionary editors closely study the new terms and their meanings and based on their frequent occurrences over a considerable period of time choose the words and grant them acceptance. For example, Collins Free Online Dictionary (www.collinsdictionary.com) added 86 new words to its list in 2012 and here are some of the new entries:
1. Verbal diarrhea (noun): A tendency to speak at excessive length.
2. Floordrobe (noun): A pile of clothes left on the floor of a room.
3. Hangry (adjective): Irritable as a result of feeling hungry.
4. Laymanise (verb): To simplify (technical information) into a form that can be understood by ordinary people.
5. Frenemy (noun): A person who is considered as both a friend and a rival.
6 Tiger mother (noun): A very strict woman who demands that her children reach a high level of achievement.
Some new words gain entry and become an established part of English, either because they fill a gap or because they are describing something new. The examples are wiki, quark, spoof, and hobbit. I came across many new English words and phrases in 2012 and among them my favourites are ‘momshell’ and ‘jigsaw family’. If you are familiar with the word ‘bombshell’, you can guess the meaning of ‘momshell’. It is a derivative of ‘bombshell’ which means ‘someone or something having a sudden and sensational or great effect’ as in these examples:
• Actor Salman Khan’s presence at the function was a bombshell.
• The news that the corrupt politician has been sentenced to life imprisonment was a bombshell.
A ‘momshell’ is a mom as a bombshell. She is a celebrity mother who slims down in no-time after shedding her baby weight. Having children is no obstacle for a celebrity mother, also called a ‘supermum’, to have sensational effect on her fans. She gains her pre-baby physique within a few weeks after giving birth. Aishwarya Rai faced negative comments for she could not regain her pre-baby physique. Here are examples of the use of the term ‘momshell’ in different titles of news stories:
• Meet the momshells: how celebrities make ordinary mums feel guilty
• Top 12 momshells of 2008
The term jigsaw family is used to describe ‘a family in which two or more sets of children from previous relationships live together’.
• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have an excellent jigsaw family.
• When she was asked to write a sequel to a classic children’s book, Jacqueline Wilson said no. But then she saw the fun she could have with the wish-granting fairy and a modern jigsaw family. (www.guardian.co.uk, Aug 10, 2012).
Learning new English words and expressions is fun. Using these terms in appropriate contexts helps us become proficient in the language. Visit www.learn-english-today.com/new-words/new-words-in-english.html to know more recently coined English words and expressions.
— rayanal@yahoo.co.uk