How to Propose a New Word for the Dictionary: Strategies and Real-Life Examples

The Evolution of Emerging Linguistic Concepts

The evolution of linguistic concepts, such as the term "cisgender", highlights the dynamic nature of language and its role in reflecting societal changes. By utilizing various strategic approaches, individuals can contribute meaningfully to the expansion of our dictionaries. This article explores the methods behind proposing a new word and illustrates how such efforts have been effectively implemented in different contexts.

Strategies for Proposing New Words

Strategy 1: Writing Your Own Dictionary

One of the least common yet interesting strategies is to create your own dictionary. This approach can be fruitful, especially in niche fields, but it carries the risks of limited reach and sales potential. Despite the challenges, this method allows for full control over the definitions and usage of the new terms.

Prepare yourself for the unlikely prospect of commercial success.

Strategy 2: Building Relationships with Lexicographers

An alternative strategy involves getting to know a lexicographer personally, possibly offering them a bribe or using blackmail. Remember, it's all about the importance of the new term in promoting politically correct language. This can be an effective way if you have the means and can convince the lexicographer of the term's significance.

High risk and high reward approach.

Strategy 3: Meeting Unmet Needs

The most sustainable approach is to identify an unmet need in the linguistic landscape and create a suitable term to fill that gap. Once the term gains traction and popularity, lexicographers will inevitably notice and include it in future editions of dictionaries. This method requires long-term commitment and patience but can yield lasting results.

Create a term that is widely used and easily understood.

Strategy 4: Adopting Social Control Measures

For those with substantial resources, a more radical approach involves seizing control of key institutions and using this power to promote the use of the new term. This method involves rewarding compliance and punishing non-compliance, which can be effective but is highly controversial and may face significant backlash.

This strategy requires extensive resources and may face ethical concerns.

Real-Life Examples

Annual Word Competitions in Croatia

In Croatia, there is an annual competition aimed at inventing new words for emerging phenomena. This contest not only encourages linguistic innovation but also helps in reducing the reliance on foreign words, fostering the creation of more locally relevant terms.

Inclusion in Dictionaries

Incorporating a new word in a dictionary like Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary can be achieved by following certain steps. For casual uses in digital or print publications, simply using the term consistently can help. For more formal inclusion, submitting the term to the dictionary publisher is necessary. Over time, if the term gains widespread use, it may naturally be included in future editions.

Challenges and Successes

For example, the term "debanking" has gained popularity, referring to the act of closing someone's bank accounts. This term highlights how new linguistic concepts can emerge quickly and become a part of everyday language. Challenges include ensuring that the term is easy to understand, write, and remember, but with persistence and social acceptance, new words can become integral parts of our lexicons.

Conclusion

Proposing a new word for the dictionary is a multifaceted challenge. Whether through personal innovation, strategic relationships, or broader social movements, the inclusion of new terms can reflect and shape our understanding of the world. Understanding the process and its real-life applications can help individuals and societies contribute to the evolution of language in a meaningful way.