Words that should exist but don't

General discussion about learning languages
Bluepaint
Brown Belt
Posts: 1272
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
x 1031

Words that should exist but don't

Postby Bluepaint » Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:30 pm

Purely for giggles, what words should exist but don't?

Bribee: a person who has been bribed or receives a bribe
Briber: a person who pays a bribe
Breakfasted: to have taken breakfast. I'm not sure if this is already recognised. I hear people say "let's breakfast on the patio" or "we'll breakfast at mother's then we'll go shopping". Are they shortening the phrase "to take/eat breakfast" or is breakfasting a verb? I know it is derived from to break a fast. But then it would be "I broke fast at seven" rather than breakfasted/ate breakfast.
1 x

User avatar
Willow
Yellow Belt
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2016 12:25 pm
Location: Polska, Kraków
Languages: Русский (N), English, polski, deutsch
x 119

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Willow » Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:38 pm

Rhian wrote:Purely for giggles, what words should exist but don't?


I won't be surprised, if natives use something like this in a colloquial speech just for fun :D
At least I'm constantly creating such kinds of neologisms in Russian.
0 x

Bluepaint
Brown Belt
Posts: 1272
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
x 1031

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Bluepaint » Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:46 pm

Willow wrote:
Rhian wrote:Purely for giggles, what words should exist but don't?


I won't be surprised much, if natives use something like this in a colloquial speech just for fun :D
At least I'm constantly creating such kinds of neologisms in Russian.


I think there should be a word for people who are incompetent at styling hair. I'm thinking haarcack. Hair + cackhanded :P I am most definitely haarcack
0 x

User avatar
Willow
Yellow Belt
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2016 12:25 pm
Location: Polska, Kraków
Languages: Русский (N), English, polski, deutsch
x 119

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Willow » Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:50 pm

Rhian wrote:
Willow wrote:
Rhian wrote:Purely for giggles, what words should exist but don't?


I won't be surprised much, if natives use something like this in a colloquial speech just for fun :D
At least I'm constantly creating such kinds of neologisms in Russian.


I think there should be a word for people who are incompetent at styling hair. I'm thinking haarcack. Hair + cackhanded :P I am most definitely haarcack

Not only you, I guess ;)
My hair simply looks like a haystack, I mean I don't style my hair at all :D I just wash it and comb it.
0 x

User avatar
LinguaPony
Orange Belt
Posts: 141
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:50 am
Location: Saratov, Russia
Languages: Russian (N), English (Proficient), Italian (Intermediate), M. Chinese (Beginner), German (Just started), Yiddish (half-cooked A1, long since forgotten, but now queued for revival)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7160
x 309
Contact:

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby LinguaPony » Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:31 pm

Breakfasted, at least, exists.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde:
So we all set of, the doctor, and the child's father, and our friend and myself, and passed the rest of the night in my chambers; and next day, when we had breakfasted, went in a body to the bank.


Written in 1886.
5 x

Bluepaint
Brown Belt
Posts: 1272
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
x 1031

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Bluepaint » Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:34 pm

LinguaPony wrote:Breakfasted, at least, exists.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde:
So we all set of, the doctor, and the child's father, and our friend and myself, and passed the rest of the night in my chambers; and next day, when we had breakfasted, went in a body to the bank.


Written in 1886.


So I have heard it! I'm a terrible one for insisting words exist but it turns out they are archaic or just do not exist. Now what about supped? I'm sure I have heard people say they "supped on" soup or whatever and they "supped at" half eight. Derived from supper of course.
0 x

User avatar
urubu
White Belt
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:55 pm
Location: Gütersloh (D)
Languages: German (N), Dutch (C2), English, French, Portuguese, Indonesian, Esperanto Studying: Middle Egyptian, Coptic
x 25

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby urubu » Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:45 pm

Rhian wrote:Purely for giggles, what words should exist but don't?

Bribee: a person who has been bribed or receives a bribe
Briber: a person who pays a bribe


Both 'bribee' and 'briber' are in the OED, 'briber' also in smaller dictionaries like Collins, Chambers, New Oxford Dict of English.
4 x

User avatar
Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
x 3395

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Carmody » Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:58 pm

I too am fascinated by things for which there are no words.

I love hydrangea bushes in particular because they have such a wide range of colors as they come into bloom and then proceed to die slowly, spectacularly.

http://tinyurl.com/yd9wpngp
1 x

Bluepaint
Brown Belt
Posts: 1272
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
x 1031

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Bluepaint » Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:04 pm

Carmody wrote:I too am fascinated by things for which there are no words.

I love hydrangea bushes in particular because they have such a wide range of colors as they come into bloom and then proceed to die slowly, spectacularly.

http://tinyurl.com/yd9wpngp



I keep thinking of examples and telling myself I must post here but by today, when I have finally gotten round to posting, I cannot remember any decent examples.
0 x

Bluepaint
Brown Belt
Posts: 1272
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
x 1031

Re: Words that should exist but don't

Postby Bluepaint » Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:06 pm

Carmody wrote:I too am fascinated by things for which there are no words.

I love hydrangea bushes in particular because they have such a wide range of colors as they come into bloom and then proceed to die slowly, spectacularly.

http://tinyurl.com/yd9wpngp


The colouriety of hydrangea bushes is wonderful!

Edit: I'm not sure I like 'colouriety'.
0 x


Return to “General Language Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Link, nathancrow77 and 2 guests