How does a word become a word?

[Ladyquill]

I had a Brazilian student with an amazing talent for learning English. I was constantly in stitches with this kid because he also had an amazing ability to make up words. I think my favorite was: impotential - having the potential to render someone impotent. "That girl is so ugly she has impotential." I absolutely can not think of this word and not laugh.

I wonder, how does a word become a word?


LQ

[Apoclima]

Very cute! I've known girls like that!

I think that something becomes a word when at least two people agree on its meaning and use it (with each other) to "name" something.

It may spread from there or not, but it will never become a non-word as long as one person remembers its meaning.

Apo

[Brazilian dude]

I had a Brazilian student with an amazing talent for learning English.

We Brazilians are all very talented.

Brazilian dude

[Ladyquill]

I think that something becomes a word when at least two people agree on its meaning and use it (with each other) to "name" something.
Apo

Cool! Then I am the creator of a Brazilian word. I call all of my students "dorks" - a sort of term of endearment. Well, I added "inha" on the end one day when I called one little girl my little "dorkinha"! The other Brazilian students loved it! It caught on quickly that year and they took it back with them to Brazil. Apparently, they're using it quite regularly. Unfortunatly, I became their big "dorkona"...not sure if I like that. [/i]

[Stargzer]

. . . I was constantly in stitches with this kid because he also had an amazing ability to make up words. I think my favorite was: impotential - having the potential to render someone impotent. "That girl is so ugly she has impotential." I absolutely can not think of this word and not laugh. . . . LQ

There's a yearly contest, I think by the Washington Post, to come up with new words such as "impotential." I can't find the link at the moment, but I sure someone can find it. (We're talking about you, Tim. )

[Vandalism]

Do you mean 'sniglets'? I was sent this link in a topic I brought up a while back;

http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/sniglets.html

If a word is a word when one other person understands it then most families and groups of friends have developed some language that has meaning only within their particular circle. Some words catch on, however, and become mainstream.

I've been reading up on 'memes' recently and it has been suggested that language itself is meme; a virus if you will, that transmits itself from one brain to another not by DNA but verbally (among other ways) as an idea. Those words which are catchiest catch on and through some Darwinian style survival of the fittest it is those words that are the most likely to go on 'infecting' one person after another until the idea and the word attached to it are an integral part of the collective mindscape.

hmm.

[JJ]

Cool.

Sure glad I serendipped into this site! (...onto?...)

Whaddaya mean it's not a word. It could be...

JJ