Quill and Quire

Book news

« Back to
Quillblog

How many of these can you use today?

From the Times:

It may appear agrestic to ask, but The Times is calling on its readers to come to the rescue of words that risk fading into caliginosity.

Dictionary compilers at Collins have decided that the word list for the forthcoming edition of its largest volume is embrangled with words so obscure that they are linguistic recrement. Such words, they say, must be exuviated abstergently to make room for modern additions that will act as a roborant for the book.

The Times-owned Collins has agreed to keep some endangered words, should they show an increase in popularity before February (when the list is finalized). The list of 24 endangered words also includes vilipend and oppugnant. Stephen Fry is backing fubsy, while this Quillblogger is partial to nitid and malison.

By

September 23rd, 2008

3:32 pm

Category: Book news