Poetry & Contingency

What do you call a newly invented word if you don’t already have a word for newly invented words? Here is OED’s record of the earliest evidence for various words for new words, the making of new words, and the using of new words. Not all of these authors would be pleased to find that they had coined these terms themselves. Muphry’s Law obtains especially, it seems, in cases of word rage:

neologism 1b – “The coining or use of new words or phrases.”
1796   J. Watt Consid. Medicinal Use Factitious Airs (ed. 2) ii. 2   The author wishes to shun the imputation of neologism.

neology 1a – “The coining or use of new words or phrases”
1797   Monthly Mag.3 417   Disfigured by neology, corruption, and barbarous modes of speech.

neological 1 – “[…] containing new words or phrases.”
1754   Ld. Chesterfield in World 5 Dec. 610   A genteel neological dictionary, containing those polite..words and phrases, commonly used..by the beau monde.

neology 1b – “A new word or phrase”
1801   W. Dupré Lexicographia-neologica Gallica p. x,   […] an english neology, scarcely comprehensible to the generality of english readers.

neologist 1 – “A person who coins or uses new words or phrases”
1785   J. Trusler Mod. Times I. 135   He called himself a nealogist [sic], or a former of new words.
1814   I. D’Israeli Quarrels Auth. III. 145   The vicious Neologist, who debases the purity of English diction by affecting new words or phrases.
(D’Israeli’s second listed citation included here because, you know, “or uses…”)

neologize 1 – “To coin or use new words or phrases.”
1813   T. Jefferson Let. 16 Aug. in Writings (1984) 1300   Necessity obliges us to neologize.

And, for the double…

neologization – “The coining of new words or phrases”
1820   T. Jefferson Let. 15 Aug. in Writings (1984) 1443   If, in this process of sound neologisation, our transatlantic brethren shall not choose to accompany us [etc.]

Finally, Jefferson again, here in second position, but still making him my new favorite neologist, or neologizer, or neologician, homo neologus, or whatever:

neologous – “Of or relating to the coining of new words or phrases.”
1812   W. Taylor in Monthly Rev.67 465   The neologous omniscience of a German student.
1820   T. Jefferson Let. 15 Aug. in Writings (1984) 1443   Give the word neologism to our language, as a root, and it should give us..it’s [sic] adjectives neologous, neological, neologistical, [etc.].

[hat tip Language Hat]