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A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

Darwinism and the Dictionary (minicast) - 20 Oct. 2008

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

A Way with Words

Language Learning, Society & Culture, Education

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2008

⏱️ 5 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The British publishers of the Collins dictionary have announced 24 words on their endangered species list. They’re words like “vilipend,” which means “to treat with contempt,” and “nitid,” that’s n-i-t-i-d, which means “glistening. “ Hear hundreds of free episodes and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org. Be a part of the show: call or text 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; elsewhere in the world, call or text +1 619 800 4443. Send voice notes or messages via WhatsApp 16198004443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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Engineered to do it all. That's a laptop evolved with Intel Evo Platform. Welcome to another mini-cast from Away with Words. I'm Martha Barnett.

0:39.0

The British publishers of the Collins Dictionary have announced 24 words on their endangered species list.

0:46.5

Their words like Villepend, to treat with contempt, and knitted, that's NITID, which means glistening.

0:55.4

The editors say if they don't see these words being used in everyday speech and writing,

1:00.0

they'll drop them from the next edition.

1:02.7

They've even set a deadline, February 2009.

1:06.7

But they're also offering the public a chance to vote

1:09.4

for which words should get a reprieve. It's a great publicity stunt, but I have to say that the

1:16.0

thought of any word being voted off the lexical island makes me wince. I understand of course

1:22.3

that culling the herd is a necessary evil.

1:25.0

Consider the economics.

1:27.0

More words mean more pages and more pages mean more cost per unit.

1:32.0

As more new words come into being, the obsolete ones have to make room.

1:37.5

Still, I was aghast to realize that on the list was one of my favorite words ever. The word is cadusity, Cadusicity, cadusity. It means perishability, transients. More specifically, it means

1:55.0

the infirmities that accompany old age.

1:58.0

Caducity comes from the Latin word cadre,

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