VIVA
VOCABULARY!
Each edition of “Viva Vocabulary!” focuses on
different word genres. The goal is to help students
(re)discover the joy of language and the expressive
power of vocabulary.
Practical Ways to
Promote Word
Consciousness
Lois Huffman is an adjunct faculty member at NC State
University and a consultant with the Center for Applied
Linguistics. She enjoys facilitating professional learning
on language and literacy-related topics for schools and
local councils. Contact her at [email protected].
by Lois E. Huffman
Just Following Up: Lots of Additions
Part Two of Three
“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” - John Cotton Dana
Every professional educator needs to continue learning. As I shared in Part One, one
of the things I love learning is words―new ones and new-to-me ones.
In this three-part series, I’m following up on some previous Viva Vocabulary!
articles. My goal is to present things I’ve learned about various word genres since
writing posts about them earlier. I will also provide more resources and teaching
ideas.
The first part of this series focused on the big-three -nyms: Synonyms, Antonyms,
and Homonyns. The final segment will follow up on previous articles about
Euphemisms and how English Is E-volving. In this installment, we will revisit
Clipped Words and Portmanteau Words.
Clipped Words (a.k.a. shortening, truncation, abbreves)
Americans seem to be more in love than ever with chopping off one or more
syllables from the beginning or end of a polysyllabic word. Shortening words is
linguistically efficient and fun. (economist.com) “You’re most likely to see abbreves
in memes, texts, Twitter and spoken by teenagers or college students – or, dripping
with irony, by someone who wants to mock one.” (washingtonpost.com)
Below are more clipped words I’ve run into since writing the Viva Vocabulary! post,
“Clipped Words for Our Crazy-Busy Lives.” Which of these truncated words have
you and your students encountered? Which do your students say or write? Which
are you guilty of using?! (I’ll admit that gen, pols, guac, and invite are part of my
conversations with family and friends. I suspect that some of you are cringing.)
ac /ăk/: academic (as in a post-ac career)
agro: aggravation
air con: air conditioning
caf: cafeteria
cardy: cardigan
citizen paps: citizen paparazzi (ordinary people who take photos of celebrities)
creds: credentials OR credits
consult: consultation
convo: conversation or to converse
deo: deodorant
derm: dermatologist
devo: devotional
dupe: duplicate
fab: fabulous
flex: flexible
goss: gossip
gen: generation (as in next generation)
guac: guacamole
haps: happenings
hubs: husband
hypos: hypothetical situations
illo: illustration
intel: intelligence (information obtained about an enemy)
intro-extro: introvert-extrovert (a.k.a. ambivert)
invite: invitation
ish or ‘shoes: issues
jealy: jealous
labs: laboratory work (diagnostic medical tests)
mashies: mashed potatoes
mech: mechanism
muni: municipality (city)
noms: nominations
op opportunity
Paleo: Paleolithic diet
photogs: photographers
pits: armpits
pol: politician
precip: precipitation
presh: pressure
pub: publication
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rec: record
refi: refinance
repro: reproduction
rez: reservation (Indian tribal land)
rezi: reservation (assuring you have seating at a restaurant)
sig: signature (as in email signature file)
sked: schedule
sunnies: sunglasses
tabs: tabloids (amazon.com/reads-supermarket-tabs-tabloids Interview/dp/B00092NUQK)
totes: totally
trad: traditional
transpo: transportation
trips: triplets (We’ve called quadruplets, quads and quintuplets, quints for years.)
tude: attitude
virch: virtual reality
za: pizza
zerts: desserts (as in “apps and zerts” - how Tom Haverford on the TV comedy
Parks and Recreation referred to appetizers and desserts)
Teaching Ideas:
1. Let the class know that whether the front or back of a word is lopped off appears
to be influenced by “the stress pattern, length, and lexical class (common or
proper noun). . . . Analysis reveals that non-initial stress, a large number of
syllables, and first-name status decrease the probability of backclipping, which is
generally more frequent than foreclipping.”
First names, which are typically used among family and close
associates, can still be recognizable even when drastically clipped
(e.g., Tee for Theresa, Liv for Olivia, Cam for Cameron). Common
nouns, however, are less easily predicted if too much informational content is
missing and thus, they cannot be clipped so extensively (“The Clipping of
Common and Proper Nouns” by Thomas Berg, 2011).
2. As seen in the list above, the most frequent type of clipped form is monosyllabic
(English Lexicogenisis by D. Gary Miller, 2014). There are, however, some
disyllable clipped words. Examples: legit for legitimate, exam for examination,
and congrats for congratulations. Challenge class members to generate a list of
two-syllable clipped words.
3. Encourage students to be on the lookout for proper nouns that have been
truncated as in the following examples:
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Cities / Other Places
Cle for Cleveland, OH
Corpus for Corpus Christi, TX
LoDo for the lower downtown area of Denver, CO
NoPo for North Portland, OR
NuLu for New Louisville (East Market District) in Louisville, KY
SoHo for the South of Houston (Street) neighborhood in Manhattan, NY
Wright Pat for Wright Patterson Air Force Base
Publications
HuffPost or HuffPo for The Huffington Post, OxDic for Oxford (English)
Dictionary, WaPo for The Washington Post
Other Entities
Cat for Caterpillar, the Fed for the Federal Reserve System, Insta for
Instagram, ZEROREZ® for Zero Residue (Carpet Cleaning)
4. Challenge students to find out the longer version of each of these business
names: 1) Intuit; 2) Genuity; 3) Teligent; 4) Intel 5) Essent.
KEY: 1) intuitive; 2) ingenuity; 3) intelligent; 4) int–integrated + el – electronic; 5) essential
(naming newsletter.com/clipping-a-name-a-little-off-the-top-please/ #sthash.7
DianUdH.dpuf)
5. Present examples of clipped compounds and have students
discover how they are made. In some clipped compounds,
only the first element is clipped and the second remains the
same (e.g., Eurasia = Europe + Asia). In other clipped
compounds, both elements are clipped. Examples of the
latter type are Eurovision (European television), hazmat
(hazardous material), hi-po (also HIPO and Hi-Po; high-potential [employee]), op doc
(opinion documentary), and pomo (postmodern).
6. Make sure the class is aware that despite its prevalence in our modern world,
clipping is not new. People have also long disapproved of the practice. According
to writer, Ed Battistella, “Jonathan Swift [the author of Gulliver’s Travels and A
Modest Proposal] complained that ‘This perpetual Disposition to shorten our
Words, by retrenching the Vowels, is nothing else but a tendency to lapse into
the Barbarity of those Northern Nations from whom we are descended, and
whose Languages labour all under the same Defect.’” (literaryashland.org/
?p=304)
As Swift pointed out, clipping is not limited to American English. If there are
English learners in the class, ask them if words are clipped in their first language,
and if so, to share some examples.
7. Discuss the appropriateness of using clipped words in speech and writing. Invite
older students to read the guidelines, “20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any)
in Formal Writing” and the post, “Use Truncated Words with Caution.” Ask students
what conclusions they can draw from the readings. Reiterate that clipped forms are
not appropriate for formal academic or business writing.
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8. Bring up the use of clipped language for comedic or ironic effect.
Share the Abbrevs restaurant site which pokes fun at trends in
modern food culture, including the use of clipped words
(e.g., Pinot Grig and tacs instead of Pinot Grigio and tacos). Discuss
why some people find certain clipped words or the overuse of clipped words annoying
or humorous as explained in The Washington Post commentary, “Abbreves Becoming
Ridic. Most Def.”
9. Also let the class know that many clipped words have become so commonplace
that their longer versions have all but disappeared in day-to-day communication.
For example, few speakers of English are likely to be aware that cab, lunch, and
bus are the shortened versions of cabriolet, luncheon,
and omnibus, respectively (see dailywritingtips.com/
word-clipping/). Then challenge students to spell out
these everyday clipped words:
1) piano
2) pants
3) brig
4) wiener
5) patter
6) cinema
7) perk
8) fax
9) zoo
10) fan
KEY: 1) pianoforte 2) pantaloons 3) brigantine 4) wienerwurst 5) paternoster 6) cinematograph
7) perquisite 8) facsimile 9) zoological park 10) fanatic (Adapted from (nytimes.com/interactive
/2009/11/01/education/edlife/01Edlife_Spell.html?_r=0)
Conclude this activity by having students predict which contemporary clipped
words (if any) might likewise become standard terms in their own right, driving
out the lengthier original words.
10. If they haven’t already done so, encourage students to investigate backformation, which some consider a subtype of clipping. In back-formation, a new
word is made by removing the ending of an existing word. An example of a backformed word is air-condition from air conditioning. The Viva Vocabulary! article,
“New Words: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Part Three” offers more information
and teaching ideas regarding this form of word reduction.
11. Remind students that many nicknames (a.k.a. hypocorisms)
are clipped versions of a person’s first or last name (e.g., Abs
Is your
for Abby, Bey for Beyoncé, The Fonz for Fonzerelli, Gretch
nickname
for Gretchen, Tay for Taylor). Refer to the Viva Vocabulary!
clipped?
article, “New Words: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Part
Two” for more ideas on increasing students’ knowledge of
clipped words. Additional information on hypocorisms can be found in the Viva
Vocabulary! post, “Jack and Jill Can Be More Nym-ble: Part Three.”
12. Share research about clipping that suggests “Women lead the adoption of
clipped words. In general, new linguistic forms are readily adopted by women.”
(npr.org/ blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/01/16/263096375/researchers-aretotes-studying-how-ppl-shorten-words-on-twitter). Then have students
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consider the role that tweeting and texting play in the proliferation of clipped
words.
13. Remind the class that clipping is also done to form portmanteau (blended)
words.
Portmanteau Words
The portmanteau craze, that is, blending existing words to form new words, also
doesn’t appear to be waning. According to Ben Zimmer of The Wall Street Journal,
one reason may be that a portmanteau “is an easy way to convey novelty while not
appearing too novel.”
Here are more mash-up words I’ve collected from our modern world:
athleisure = athletic + leisure (workout wear that is appropriate for non-sport pursuits,
such as wearing leggings or yoga pants while running errands)
carbage = carbohydrate + garbage (processed food that is high in simple carbohydrates)
celebutante = celebrity + debutante (This word appeared in the OED in the 1930s, but has
been resurrected in recent years.)
closery = closet + nursery (using a closet for a child’s nursery)
cornado = corn + tornado (when a player dominates a cornhole game in such a way that
he/she destroys everyone in his/her wake)
cosplay = costume + play (performance art in which participants dress up as a fictional
character) (en.wikipedia.org)
cronut = croissant + donut (donut-shaped pastry made from croissant dough that is
sugared, filled, and glazed; sometimes used for artisan burger sandwiches)
dictocracy = dictatorship + democracy (country that resembles a capitalistic democracy,
bust has a with a long-serving, non-elected leader OR a sociopolitical situation in which
there is an attempt to dictate people’s choices regarding language use, food intake, political
views, etc.)
docuseries = documentary + series (a type of reality TV program)
entreployee = entrepreneur + employee (person who has his/her own business enterprise
while also working for a company)
facekini = face + bikini (swimming mask that covers the head, only revealing the eyes,
nostrils, and mouth)
flightmare = flight + nightmare (unpleasant air travel due to inclement weather, lost
luggage, missed connections, rude passengers, etc.)
glocal = global + local (awareness of both global and local entities, factors, etc.)
guyliner = guy + eyeliner (eyeliner for men)
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hangry = hungry + angry (being frustrated or easily irritated due to lack of eating)
jorts = jeans + shorts (blue denim shorts)
kidult = kid + adult (person who is in between childhood and adulthood or an adult
who does not want to grow up)
listicle = list + article (short piece of writing that uses a list format and has a cardinal
number in its title, such as “10 Reasons to Read”)
manstagram = man + Instagram (photo of a shirtless male)
mechatronics = mechanics + electronics (a design process that combines mechanical,
electrical, and computer engineering)
migrenade = migraine + grenade (things that trigger migraine headaches)
mindie = mainstream + indie (music artist who appears independent, but is actually
backed by a mainstream label; music that is deep and meaningful, but also makes a healthy
profit) (wordspy.com)
mustachionado = mustache + aficionado (person who is very knowledgeable
and enthusiastic about the groomed hair that grows above a man’s upper lip)
mychiatry = me + psychiatry (using technology to focus on one’s mental well-being)
normcore = normal + hardcore (unisex, unpretentious, average-looking clothing)
Pegan = Paleo + vegan (eating plan that combines the best foods from the caveman and
vegan diets)
petiquette = pet + etiquette (appropriate public behavior for pets, primarily dogs and cats)
promposal = prom + proposal (an extravagant public gesture that is used to ask
someone to a semi-formal high-school dance held each spring)
severious = severe + serious (absolutely dire)
shomance = show + romance (romantic relationship between cast members on a TV
reality show)
squoob = squished + boobs (flattened cleavage created by tightly laced corsets
reminiscent of 18th century style)
squinch = squint + pinch (to squint in a way that narrows distance between lower
eyelid and pupil in an attempt to look better in photos)
textpectation = text + expectation (anticipating a response to a message)
uppervention = upper + intervention (challenging gifted and talented learners in
ways that help them explore their interests) (edutopia.org/blog/uppervention-for-giftedtalented-students-josh-work)
voluntold = volunteer + told (ordered to volunteer or to be volunteered by someone else)
winterval = winter + festival (non-religious celebration held in late December)
Even popular and relatively new words may find their way into some creative
combinations. The following table shows some of the many portmanteau words that
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contain selfie (a photo taken of oneself with a smartphone or other mobile device).
Selfie was the Oxford Dictionaries 2013 Word of the Year.
Blended Word
belfie
Words That Have
Been Combined
Meaning
Photo a person takes of his / her stomach or bottom
brelfie
belly + selfie OR
buttocks + selfie
breastfeeding + selfie
dronie
drone + selfie
Video selfie taken with a high-tech unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) (Are you familiar with drone racing?)
healthie
health + selfie
Photo a person takes to display his / her results after
body building or some other fitness regimen
helfie
hair + selfie
Photo someone takes so others can see his / her new
hairstyle
lelfie
legs + selfie
Photo a woman takes of her legs to show off her
thigh gap (i.e., “space between the inner thighs of
women when standing upright with knees touching”
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thigh_gap))
panoselfie
panorama + selfie
Wide-angle photo a person takes of him/herself,
possibly with others, that shows a lot of background
shelfie (also
bookshelfie)
bookshelf + selfie
Photo someone takes to show off his / her collection
of books or other items on his/her bookshelf
welfie
workout + selfie
Photo a person takes of his / her workout or
him/herself in workout attire
Photo a woman takes of herself nursing her baby
(Adapted from blog.oxforddictionaries.com/press-releases/oxford-dictionaries-word-of-the-year2013/; yahoo.com/tech/selfies-take-to-the-skies-meet-the-dronie-83682969237.html)
Teaching Ideas:
1. Invite students to research the process of word formation via blending. Have
them make a PowerPoint or Prezi slideshow to share what they learn. Students
can include contemporary examples such as the words above and other
portmanteau words they like and use.
2. Read aloud from Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant or Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky
(Greenwillow, 2006). (Both books of fanciful poetry contain lots of blended
words.) Invite younger students to illustrate their favorite line or made-up
creature (e.g., “Stardines swim high across the sky.”). Students might also create
other blended animals.
3. Encourage students to have fun developing their own
portmanteaus. For instance, in one episode of the TV comedy
Better Off Ted, scientists Lem and Phil talked about inventing
a plove (plate + stove), a flaming plate that cooks. Using
phablet (phone + tablet = mobile device that combines the
functions of a smartphone and a tablet computer) as inspiration, ask students to
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think of other ways our phones might be combined with everyday tools. Suggest
a few light-hearted examples to stimulate students’ creativity: phammer, phovel,
phissors. (Thanks to Dr. R. Huffman for this idea.)
To further inspire students, show the video, Fun with Words (Mixtionary) which
offers highlights from Mixtionary: Mixed-Up Modern Words for the Mixed-Up
Modern World by Mia Christou, Scott Lobdell, and John Nee (IDW Publishing,
2006). The book is filled with humorous portmanteaus invented by the authors.
4. Introduce students to the concept of frankenwords, blended words that are
awkward sounding or unsightly (wordspy.com/words/frankenword.asp). Some
portmanteaus of this type are frenemy, Climategate, and Coca-Colonization.
Frankenwords have also been defined as the “blending of
Frankenstein with another word in portmanteau fashion”
(e.g., Frankenbike, frankenfood, frankenstorm, Frankenstrat).
(thewire.com/ entertainment/2012/11/frankenstein-wordmonster/58609/)
5. Additional portmanteau examples and teaching suggestions can be found in the
earlier Viva Vocabulary! post, “Portmanteaus to Pack into Speech and Print.”
The post “Just Following Up with Lots of Additions: Part Two of Two” appeared first on
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