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Where do new words come from? - Marcel Danesi

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There are over 170,000 words currently in use in the English language. Yet every year, about a thousand new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Where do they come from, and how do they make it into our everyday lives? Marcel Danesi explains how new words enter a language.

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  • Educator Marcel Danesi
  • Director Hector Herrera
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Producer Pazit Cahlon
  • Composer Adam Harendorf
  • Sound Designer Adam Harendorf
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • See more
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Find the creation of new words fascinating? Click here to find out more. How new words are born is a great article on this topic.

Loanwords are those words borrowed from another language. Here is a site with some great examples found in the English language. What do the words smorgasbord, karaoke, and bikini all have in common? Check out 20th century loanwords from the British Library. Can you think of any others? How about bayonet, ballet, and chef, all from the French language.

Finding this idea of creating new words fun? Watch this TED Talk: Go ahead, make up new words! Who decides if a word is “real?” Watch this TED Talk: What makes a word “real?” and find out.  

What about combining two words into one? Watch this video from Oxford Dictionaries: What do you call a new word made by combining two other words?
TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
New York, NY
Each language has the resources to create new words ad infinitum. Yet, we often go back in time to classical languages or else to foreign languages to do so. Why do you think this is so?
08/29/2017
Avatar for Joel Moreira
Joel Moreira • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we do because we want more new words.

09/09/2017
Avatar for Alen Jakupovic
Alen Jakupovic • COMPLETED LESSON

For words borrowed from foreign languages, a level of "trust" must exist to believe that that word is a good one for such a concept because it has clearly been used by a collective group of people with their own language for quite some time. It's like an implicit gesture of "well it worked for them, I don't see why it wouldn't work for us."

For classical words, similar concept in that it has a traditional draw that it has been used successfully in the past by people, so why expend effort to generate something new when you already have a well working model?

09/09/2017
Avatar for m m a
m m a • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Because even old languages can help us make new words in a different and modern language, such as latin or greek languages can help make new words of prefixes in language which is modern for example english.

For example: telescope in english contains a prefix called 'tele' from latin also known as far away.

And also antibiotic contains a prefix called 'anti' means against!!!
Bye!!!

09/11/2017
Avatar for Herman Heikvam
Herman Heikvam • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we go back to the words, because maybe we have used the word in the past, but forgotten about it. Often the words from the past has the meaning of the word we want because we have used it before.

09/12/2017
Avatar for Sander Bjørnstad
Sander Bjørnstad • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we use classical words because we want to hold on to the words from the past. This is because the words that we create are from the past and those words meant something and then it is easier to create new words.

09/12/2017
Avatar for Rafael Werneck
Rafael Werneck • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we go back because the words from the past are the original ones and we forgot this words so using it again will make us remember this words or maybe this words have the meaning that we want and we don't know that.

09/13/2017
Avatar for 태완 김
태완 김 • COMPLETED LESSON

We often go back in time to classical languages or else to foreign languages to do so for the following reasons. Classical languages have derived from the renaissance, the period of re-born, revolution and enlightenment. The words from this period can make people to do expression in more easy and detailed way. Foreign language could be used to create new words because people in nowadays must observe every parts of the culture to be connected globally.

09/13/2017
Avatar for Lars Spjeldnaes
Lars Spjeldnaes • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Although we could make new words for all new things, I think people use words from foreign languages, so the words are easier to learn and say.

09/13/2017
Avatar for David Mendes
David Mendes • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think we go back in time to use classical languages because the original words came from the past. So , we still use this words to keep knowing how we create the new words in the future.

09/13/2017
Avatar for Jorge Rodrigues
Jorge Rodrigues • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think we use classic words because it is easier to re-create a word that was used in the past and make another definition for it because if we spend time only creating words and making definitions for it could be a waste of time ;)

09/14/2017
Avatar for julia knox
julia knox • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we do that so it can make the universal communication a little bit easier that it is now, with the same words in different languages we can understand and have a little bit more empathy with diverse cultures.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Pablo Houthuysen
Pablo Houthuysen • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Because when you have to create a new word it’s hard so maybe it’s easier if you combine two words together or just the same word as another meaning, for example, a mouse, it’s pretty easy to remember that instead of creating a new word.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Lucca Dawson
Lucca Dawson • LESSON IN PROGRESS

philosophy and sociology bought us a lot of knowledge, there ware terms, used a long time ago that defined a very specific meaning, either in cultural and moral way, but sometimes, the terms used by those people was forgotten by time, some of them, we was able to reestablish with the real meaning, but old words can also be used for other meanings, the video brings us a lot of that.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Vilde Maerli
Vilde Maerli • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we bring them back because they have another meaning (could be the same), and since people already know most of the words we bring back, and that makes it a lot easier to get other people to start using them as well.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Marthine Heikvam
Marthine Heikvam • COMPLETED LESSON

I think because we go back to words that are from the past but we forget that it is in the past.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Hakon Spjeldnaes
Hakon Spjeldnaes • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that we take the old words back and make them into something similar but not completely same word. I think we do this because sometimes its hard to adapt a new language and get everybody to use that specific word for something. That is why I think its easier to just take something from another language that some already understand. Or the most common thing I think is just to take an old word as I said in the start of the text that you just take an old word that we do not use anymore and start to use the word for another meaning.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Pasquale Iazzetta
Pasquale Iazzetta • LESSON IN PROGRESS

i think that is important to keep the classical words, because the are the origin of our communication with others people. the new words that are already created, all of them they come from the classical words. other important thing is that all the language they borrow words from a different languages

09/14/2017
Avatar for Gabriela Darrieux
Gabriela Darrieux • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think is because to give words multiple meanings is much easier than creating new ones, added to the dictionary and starts tell everyone what it means

09/14/2017
Avatar for liu zhuodong大帅哥
liu zhuodong大帅哥 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

hi

09/14/2017
Avatar for Celia Marchidan
Celia Marchidan • COMPLETED LESSON

I think it is because we probably used these words but forgotten about them because we wanted to create more and sophisticated languages. I think we all spoke latin before and now we've forgotten it.

09/14/2017
Avatar for 王 如生
王 如生 • COMPLETED LESSON

I think it because some of the old words are very classic. And some of them may have special significance for the people who use it and give it a new mean. Or, because the curiosity we have , we want to use some word from other languages to make our article more interesting. Also give the reader/writer some inspiration. In Chinese there have many old word we still use now but the mean is total different, the reason we use them is sometimes we think use this word can show our knowledge.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Lukas theting
Lukas theting • COMPLETED LESSON

I think this is like this because we use old words so we do not have to make new words but rather can just use old words to describe the meanings we want them to describe.

09/14/2017
Avatar for Lamya Mohammad
Lamya Mohammad • COMPLETED LESSON

I think because we already have these words the original ones So we didn't have to invent something new

09/14/2017
Avatar for Manoela Esteves
Manoela Esteves • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we use classical words because we want to continue using the words from the past and hold it and people use words from foreign languages because the words can be more easier to learn and say instead of create new words.

09/15/2017
Avatar for Sergio Casillas Morales
Sergio Casillas Morales • COMPLETED LESSON

Becuase it is probably better to use other words which are not being used, like recycling a word but putting different meaning

09/15/2017
Avatar for Sayaka Y
Sayaka Y • LESSON IN PROGRESS

We go back in time to classical languages and we use to foreign languages to create new words, because it is much more simple than we use it nowadays, and I think it is also very easy to remember and pronouncing the word.

09/15/2017
Avatar for Leticia Pazzini
Leticia Pazzini • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we use classical words because it's easier to create new words inspired in other languages. And it's also much easier to pronounce them.

09/15/2017
Avatar for Maria Luiza Rocha
Maria Luiza Rocha • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think we use words from classical languages because it is a way of remembering something that you want to refer to. It is more practical to write and it can make more sense.

09/15/2017
Avatar for Botong Deng
Botong Deng • LESSON IN PROGRESS

People generated the classical language in the ancient through thousands of years. All of the language mixed with people's ideas, knowledge, experience, etc. through thousands of years. I think those classical language defined how should the vocabularies been formed and whatever people do, they can still not do better than what ancient people did for hundreds or thousands of years.

09/17/2017
Avatar for Markus M
Markus M • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think so because we need more words and sometimes old languages have the word we are looking for. There is a lot of words that exists today that are made of old words from old lauguages

09/20/2017
Avatar for Donald Trump
Donald Trump • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that the classical words are easier to learn.

09/20/2017
Avatar for meshach flaaten
meshach flaaten • LESSON IN PROGRESS

nei da

09/20/2017 • 
IN RESPONSE TO Sander Bjørnstad Show the comment
Avatar for Hiyori Kuma
Hiyori Kuma • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that we use words in the past because we want to know new words.
I think that there are too many words in the world, so we didn't conceive new words.

09/21/2017
Avatar for meshach flaaten
meshach flaaten • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that we do that to bring back the old words of the English language

09/21/2017
Avatar for Loïs Struik
Loïs Struik • COMPLETED LESSON

I don't really know...

09/23/2017
Avatar for ruth Aucancela
ruth Aucancela • LESSON IN PROGRESS

i could say that the words from the past are the originals ones, people use words from foreign languages, so the words are easier to say and learn.

09/26/2017
Avatar for Dania Antonio
Dania Antonio • COMPLETED LESSON

the origin of the words is very important because thanks to them we can be evolving in our language and helps us to communicate

09/27/2017 • 
IN RESPONSE TO ruth Aucancela Show the comment
Avatar for Esmeralda Reyes
Esmeralda Reyes • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Because even old languages can help us make new words in a different and modern language, such as latin or greek languages can help make new words of prefixes in language which is modern for example english.

09/27/2017
Avatar for Lizet Tomas
Lizet Tomas • COMPLETED LESSON

For the reason that in the waters the languages can arise new meanings and also because they will have compounds of these words to create a new

09/27/2017
Avatar for Aimar Guzman
Aimar Guzman • COMPLETED LESSON

Because if you only add new words the language will become so much difficult to learn, that´s why languages are associated with each other, if not each language would be very difficult to learn and we will not understand with foreign people.

09/28/2017
Avatar for Erika Itzel
Erika Itzel • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I believe that this happens because we combine all our knowledge and create new, this is why we mix the different languages of each time to make a kind of language for a specific period of time. Is how to create the ********** of a new generation from the previous ones.

09/28/2017
Avatar for Ana S. Miranda
Ana S. Miranda • COMPLETED LESSON

Because the lenguge by before and the foreign are givens for the vocabulary habitual due to what the words employed with words other countries to form another.

09/28/2017
Avatar for Mariela Navarrete
Mariela Navarrete • LESSON IN PROGRESS

our words can be modified over time. for such reason that we are in constant relation with other languages from which these words or meanings can be derived

09/29/2017
Avatar for Fabiola Barrientos
Fabiola Barrientos • LESSON IN PROGRESS

the words are modified over time, like all has your origen and where they come.

09/29/2017
Avatar for Cas SM
Cas SM • LESSON IN PROGRESS

The words we use in everyday life are created and accepted by society itself for thousands of years.
The importance of knowing ancient words is that we will know the meaning of these and create new ones.
There are words that have been the "convincing" of languages, most of them are known in such a way that every time you listen to them regardless of language, you will know what it means.

09/30/2017
Avatar for Diana Ángeles
Diana Ángeles • COMPLETED LESSON

This happens because most of our words have their origin in the languages of antiquity.
nglish is growing. This ilanguaje has a million or so words they already have at their disposal, English speakers are adding new ones at the rate of around 1,000 a year.

09/30/2017
Avatar for hector angeles sanchez
hector angeles sanchez • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I believe that all words have meaning, meaning and *********, in etymological or special reason. The specific use for the words are the comunication in them.

10/01/2017 • 
IN RESPONSE TO Diana Ángeles  Show the comment
Avatar for Danna Jiménez
Danna Jiménez • COMPLETED LESSON

because all the meaning of the words are linked to the same origin , so it is necessary to take a few steps back to understand some things

10/01/2017
Avatar for Fernanda Garduño
Fernanda Garduño • LESSON IN PROGRESS

we do it because it helps us communicate, acquire new words, or develop skills, has been changing as the years go by

10/01/2017
Avatar for Adri Vidal Vieyra
Adri Vidal Vieyra • COMPLETED LESSON

I consider that we do it to have many more new words that these will help us throughout our life

10/02/2017
Avatar for Naye Garcia
Naye Garcia • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I believe that what is of interest to us is the origin of our lexicon, it is essentially Latin, our pre-Roman, Greek and Arabic terms also form our vocabulary. The most recent introduction of the words of American, Italian, French, Portuguese, English, German, etc.
The formation of our vocabulary is very broad. As a living language that is, and the adoption of new words is to continue in our language.

10/05/2017
Avatar for MöNsë Luciano
MöNsë Luciano • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Creo que usamos palabras clásicas porque queremos seguir usando las palabras del pasado y mantenerlas y las personas usan palabras de lenguas extranjeras porque las palabras pueden ser más fáciles de aprender y decir en lugar de crear palabras nuevas.

10/06/2017
Avatar for Fevzican Durmus
Fevzican Durmus • COMPLETED LESSON

because we are not able to speak what do we imagine every time . Therefore, we try this way.

10/20/2017
Avatar for Gwendolyn Mejía
Gwendolyn Mejía • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think we all spoke latin before and now we've forgotten it.That is why I think its easier to just take something from another language that some already understand. Or the most common thing I think is just to take an old word as I said in the start of the text that you just take an old word that we do not use anymore and start to use the word for another meaning.

10/20/2017
Avatar for Sam Solis
Sam Solis • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that when words combind together they somtimes mack sence

11/16/2017
Avatar for Anonymous Guy \( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)/
Anonymous Guy \( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)/ • COMPLETED LESSON

i need a wife

11/23/2017
Avatar for Shyfa Damay
Shyfa Damay • COMPLETED LESSON

i think we do because we need more words

11/23/2017
Avatar for Ryan ticknor
Ryan ticknor • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Why do we go back to words that aren't in books? So therefor we shouldn't lose their meaning. I think that it is it time to start recycling so they don't get loss for good.

12/13/2017 • 
IN RESPONSE TO Herman Heikvam Show the comment
Avatar for John Locke
John Locke • COMPLETED LESSON

I disagree with you on that lars. The reason is because if we were to take a foreign word and apply to our language then it wouldn't be easier to learn and say. Try saying this, Xush kelibsiz, its not as easy as it seems.

12/13/2017 • 
IN RESPONSE TO Lars Spjeldnaes Show the comment
Avatar for Reese Sutherland
Reese Sutherland • COMPLETED LESSON

I think this is so because us humans want moe words to choose from while writing or speaking. Because other languages can help us make new words in our language.

01/15/2018
Avatar for Hussaien Alsakkaf
Hussaien Alsakkaf • COMPLETED LESSON

even sexual word as ********** ,kiss ,dick and ***********... etc

03/26/2018
Avatar for Hussaien Alsakkaf
Hussaien Alsakkaf • COMPLETED LESSON

when I said I wanna ********** your *** , that means i wanna dig my dick in it.

03/26/2018
Avatar for Hussaien Alsakkaf
Hussaien Alsakkaf • COMPLETED LESSON

whatever *** differs from *********** but eventually each they are holes should be **********.

03/26/2018
Avatar for Hussaien Alsakkaf
Hussaien Alsakkaf • COMPLETED LESSON

I love both language and sex.
Each are making you transfer your messages.

03/26/2018
Avatar for Neleh Davis
Neleh Davis • COMPLETED LESSON

because those words are already familiar and more people will have an understanding of such words.

04/05/2018
Avatar for seth wright
seth wright • COMPLETED LESSON

Because its easier for people to use others ideas of language then create your own from nothing.

04/05/2018
Avatar for Ethan Baker
Ethan Baker • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we go back to the words, because maybe we have used the word in the past, but forgotten about it. Often the words from the past has the meaning of the word we want because we have used it before. so yeah boy

04/05/2018
Avatar for Joel Dieker
Joel Dieker • COMPLETED LESSON

Partly so we don't forget that language, and I'd also imagine that the word may be given a new meaning if you take it from a. classical language.

04/05/2018
Avatar for Heather Swogar
Heather Swogar • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we do that so it can make the universal communication a little bit easier that it is now, with the same words in different languages we can understand and have a little bit more empathy with diverse cultures.

04/05/2018
Avatar for Jassenia Garcia
Jassenia Garcia • COMPLETED LESSON

Classical languages can have words that we have forgotten about that means almost the same thing but we can change it to mean exactly what we want. Foreign languages has the words we want but we can tweek them to become what would be considered english.

04/05/2018
Avatar for jorge rangel
jorge rangel • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we do that so it can make the universal communication a little bit easier that it is now, with the same words in different languages we can understand and have a little bit more empathy with diverse cultures.

05/24/2018
Avatar for yuver fiaga
yuver fiaga • COMPLETED LESSON

ok

05/24/2018
Avatar for Ben Foreman
Ben Foreman • COMPLETED LESSON

I think they go back to classic language because it will be easier to learn them, and because they already exist.

06/08/2018
Avatar for Beatrice Martini
Beatrice Martini • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Maybe because we don't know anymore how to create a word, because there are alraedy too many words. Or it can also be because they already invented a word that means what we're trying to express

09/17/2018
Avatar for Marieth Vanegas
Marieth Vanegas • COMPLETED LESSON

I think the old words help to build new words for a better communication with the evolution of the world

01/24/2019
Avatar for Kerline François
Kerline François • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think we often go back in time to classical languages to create new words because it is better to take an existing word and give it a meaning than creating a new one while we have words that we are not even using anymore. I think it's a waste of time .
why creating words when we already have them?

09/12/2019
Avatar for Yanira Coronado
Yanira Coronado • COMPLETED LESSON

I think that we use classical languages as a resource because is a way to don't forget our past history and some costumes, and in other countries are very common to combine with foreign language for creating new words because is a way to open their minds and invite to their citizens to know another cultures and costumes.

09/12/2019
Avatar for Lee Ji Min
Lee Ji Min • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we want more fresh words. Therefore, If we use classical languages or foreign languages, we can also inform our descendants of the words we used in the past through the words we used in the past.

09/24/2019
Avatar for Réka Sörfőző
Réka Sörfőző • COMPLETED LESSON

I think it is because it is hard to create new words with new sounds and letter combinations. It is easier to use a word that we know, or just give it a new meaning. The other problem is that it is harder to make a very new word popular than the one that everyone already know.

03/17/2020
Avatar for illari garcia
illari garcia • COMPLETED LESSON

Sometimes another language has the right word for a complex idea or emotion.
Also, because it is easier to borrow words to make new ones. Another thing is that we are familiar with words that it is better to invent words that we know already rather than make new ones.

03/28/2020
Avatar for Krzysztof Zarzycki
Krzysztof Zarzycki • LESSON IN PROGRESS

From my point of view, each language has its own field where it can feel predominant. That’s the reason why scientists use latin instead of using - for example - german for their studies. As we all perfectly know, the language that most changed the scientific world is with no doubt latin, considering also the fact that it was the language used during the scientific revolution, so it had an important impact on that changes.

03/30/2020
Avatar for Latoya Hill
Latoya Hill • COMPLETED LESSON

I think it's important to learn and know different languages because you'll never know where you'll end up or who you'll meet. Different languages with highly grammar makes us use coordinate ideas.

04/06/2020
Avatar for Taylor Robinson
Taylor Robinson • COMPLETED LESSON

it shows trust and helps bring us tougher

04/24/2020
Avatar for Kari Prendergast
Kari Prendergast • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think it is because those countries and languages had been around for longer than us so they were more evolved than us. This would mean they were smarter or more intelligent. I also think it may be to do with the fact that we couldn't think of a right phrase to describe something. It also is a nice way to show how we are connected and will always help each other out.

06/02/2020
Avatar for Grayson O
Grayson O • COMPLETED LESSON

we want original words that died out and maybe we want them to come back in style

06/22/2020
Avatar for Pop Iuliana
Pop Iuliana • COMPLETED LESSON

There are some terms in classical languages or in foreign ones that can describe better an idea or a feeling than new ones. They are more elegant, more musical, connecting us to the past and to golden times.

06/22/2020
Avatar for LAUREN FOX
LAUREN FOX • COMPLETED LESSON

I think this is so people don't have to actually make up new words, just borrow them from another language.

09/16/2020
Avatar for LIDIA REYES AVILA
LIDIA REYES AVILA • COMPLETED LESSON

I think we doing this because when you investigate about the years ago you get new knowledge about how the people used the language and how they communicate between them.

10/26/2020
Avatar for (Student) Makena Canon
(Student) Makena Canon • COMPLETED LESSON

This could help us to remember older words and bring old almost extinct languages back. Latin is the main language that all languages came from, so some words are similar in different languages, and if we look closely we can find words in other languages that have perfect meaning and origin for what we are trying to explain and it fills the gap perfectly.

02/04/2021
Avatar for Taylah Rose FITZPATRICK
Taylah Rose FITZPATRICK • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think this is because it creates a universal understanding, using a word another language uses/created makes people who know and speak that language understand the meaning. I also believe they do so as it is the easiest option, why spend time creating a whole new word when there are ones you can already develop and use?

03/16/2021
Avatar for Kelly Sok
Kelly Sok • COMPLETED LESSON

I think there are limits to the pattern of letter to create words. And also it is a way to popularised the word since a lot of people might be familiar with it.

03/16/2021
Avatar for Lo Desmond
Lo Desmond • LESSON IN PROGRESS

It is because in some cases, those classical languages or foreign language is catchy to explain certain things in nowadays.

03/16/2021

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Marcel Danesi
  • Director Hector Herrera
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Producer Pazit Cahlon
  • Composer Adam Harendorf
  • Sound Designer Adam Harendorf
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • See more