Whoa!
Why Shakespeare Invented 1,700 Words (And How We Do The Same Today)
When Shakespeare wrote "It's all Greek to me" in Julius Caesar, he wasn't just writing dialogue – he was inventing a phrase that would last centuries. From "eyeball" to "swagger," Shakespeare created hundreds of words and phrases we still use daily. Today, we're creating new words just as rapidly, but through very different processes.
Mind-Blowing Fact: About 1,700 common words in English first appeared in Shakespeare's works, and he created them using the same techniques that give us modern terms like "doomscrolling" and "adulting"!
The Art of Word Creation
Shakespeare used several techniques to create new words: combining existing words (moonbeam), adding prefixes and suffixes (uncomfortable), changing nouns into verbs (to elbow), and pure invention (bump). These same patterns drive modern word creation, from "doomscrolling" to "unfriend."
Why New Words Stick
Not all of Shakespeare's invented words survived – "untented" and "vastidity" didn't make it. Similarly, not every modern neologism becomes permanent. Words that fill genuine linguistic gaps and resonate with cultural moments tend to survive. This explains why "selfie" stuck while "YOLO" is fading.
Language Insight: Only about 5% of newly created words make it into major dictionaries, but those that do usually survive for centuries.
Digital Age Word Creation
Social media has revolutionized how new words spread and gain acceptance. While Shakespeare's words took years to become common, modern terms like "COVID" can become globally recognized within weeks. This acceleration has changed how languages evolve and adapt.
The Science of Neologisms
Linguists have identified patterns in successful word creation. New words typically follow existing language patterns, fill a specific need, and are easy to pronounce and remember. Shakespeare intuitively understood these principles; modern word creators often follow them unconsciously.
Fascinating Discovery: Brain scans show that we process familiar made-up words like "google" in the same brain regions as traditional words after just a few years of use!
Corporate Word Invention
Companies now deliberately create words, hoping they'll enter common usage. Google succeeded with "google" as a verb, while other attempts like Microsoft's "bing it" failed. The success rate mirrors Shakespeare's – only a small percentage of invented words survive.
Cross-Language Innovation
Modern word creation often happens across language boundaries. Japanese "emoji" and Korean "aegyo" entered English through cultural exchange. Shakespeare similarly borrowed from Latin and French, showing how language innovation often crosses cultural lines.
Modern Trend: About 40% of new English words now come from digital culture, compared to 20% from traditional media sources.
The Future of Words
AI language models are now creating new words, raising questions about the future of linguistic innovation. Will algorithms replace human creativity in word invention? Or will they work alongside human intuition, as spell-check does with writing?
Key Takeaways
Essential insights about word creation
- Shakespeare created approximately 1,700 words that are still used in modern English
- Word creation techniques (combining words, adding affixes) remain consistent across centuries
- Only about 5% of new words survive to become dictionary entries
- Social media has dramatically accelerated the spread and adoption of new words
- Modern word creation is increasingly influenced by digital culture and cross-language exchange
