From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A pejorative, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something.[1] It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others, or may be originally pejorative but later adopt a non-pejorative sense (or vice versa) in some or all contexts.
Etymology[edit]
The word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of peiorare, meaning «to make worse», from peior «worse».[2]
Pejoration and melioration[edit]
In historical linguistics, the process of an inoffensive word becoming pejorative is a form of semantic drift known as pejoration. An example of pejoration is the shift in meaning of the word silly from meaning that a person was happy and fortunate to meaning that they are foolish and unsophisticated.[3] The process of pejoration can repeat itself around a single concept, leaping from word to word in a phenomenon known as the euphemism treadmill, for example as in the successive pejoration of the terms bog-house, privy-house, latrine, water closet, toilet, bathroom and restroom (US English).[4][5]
When a term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non-pejorative sense, this is called melioration or amelioration. One example is the shift in meaning of the word nice from meaning a person was foolish to meaning that a person is pleasant.[6] When performed deliberately, it is described as reclamation or reappropriation.[7] An example of a word that has been reclaimed by portions of the community that it targets is queer, which began being re-appropriated as a positive descriptor in the early 1990s by activist groups.[8] However, due to its history and – in some regions – continued use as a pejorative, there remain LGBT individuals who are uncomfortable with having this term applied to them.[9] The «-a» use of the n-word by black americans is often viewed as another act of reclamation, though much like queer in the LGBT movement, there exist a vocal subsect of black people that object to the use of the n-word under any circumstances.[10]
See also[edit]
- Approbative
- Defamation
- Dysphemism
- Fighting words
- Graphic pejoratives in written Chinese
- Insult
- Judgmental language
- List of ethnic slurs
- List of religious slurs
- Profanity
References[edit]
- ^ «Pejorative». Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on Mar 21, 2016. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
- ^ «Pejorative (adj.)». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- ^ Horobin, Simon (March 31, 2021). «Five words that don’t mean what you think they do». The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Stollznow, Karen (2020-08-11). «Ableist Language and the Euphemism Treadmill». Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Bell, Vicars Walker (1953). On Learning the English Tongue. Faber & Faber. p. 19.
The Honest Jakes or Privy has graduated via Offices to the final horror of Toilet.
- ^ Nordquist, Richard (3 October 2019). «Amelioration (word meanings)». ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on Jan 18, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Brontsema, Robin (2004-06-01). «A Queer Revolution: Reconceptualizing the Debate Over Linguistic Reclamation». Colorado Research in Linguistics. 17 (1). doi:10.25810/dky3-zq57. ISSN 1937-7029.
Linguistic reclamation, also known as linguistic resignification or reappropriation, refers to the appropriation of a pejorative epithet by its target(s).
- ^ Perlman, Merrill (2019-01-22). «How the word ‘queer’ was adopted by the LGBTQ community». Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Druhan, Colin (2019-03-06). «Our complicated relationship with the term queer». IN Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Higson, Rachel (2017-09-28). «Considering the N-Word: To Reject or Reclaim?». Prindle Institute. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
Further reading[edit]
- Croom, Adam M. (2011). «Slurs». Language Sciences. 33 (3): 343–358. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2010.11.005.
- Croom, Adam M. (2014). «Remarks on ‘The Semantics of Racial Slurs’«. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations. Vol. 13, no. 1. pp. 11–32.
- Croom, Adam M. (January 2014). «The Semantics of Slurs: A Refutation of Pure Expressivism». Language Sciences. 41, Part B: 227–242. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2013.07.003.
- Henderson, Anita (Spring 2003). «What’s in a Slur?». American Speech. Vol. 78, no. 1. Project MUSE. pp. 52–74.
External links[edit]
Media related to Pejoratives at Wikimedia Commons- «Pejorative Language». Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Media related to Pejoratives at Wikimedia CommonsThe term pejorative language refers to words and phrases that hurt, insult, or disparage someone or something. Also called a derogatory term or a term of abuse.
The label pejorative (or derogatory) is sometimes used in dictionaries and glossaries to identify expressions that offend or belittle a subject. Nonetheless, a word that’s regarded as pejorative in one context may have a non-pejorative function or effect in a different context.
Examples and Observations of Pejorative Language
- «It is often … the case that pejorative terms are stronger when applied to women: bitch is seldom a compliment, whereas bastard (especially old bastard) can under some circumstances be intended as a term of respect or affection. Of similar positive status when masculine is dog (as in you old dog!, admiring a roué); when feminine in reference in AmE it means an ugly woman. Witch is almost always pejorative, whereas wizard is often a compliment.»
(Tom McArthur, Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 2005) - «[T]here is a tendency to select our pejorative epithets with a view not to their accuracy but to their power of hurting…
«The best protection against this is to remind ourselves again and again what the proper function of pejorative words is. The ultimate, simplest and most abstract, is bad itself. The only good purpose for ever departing from that monosyllable when we condemn anything is to be more specific, to answer the question ‘Bad in what way?’ Pejorative words are rightly used only when they do this. Swine, as a term of abuse, is now a bad pejorative word, because it brings no one accusation rather than another against the person it vilifies; coward and liar are good ones because they charge a man with a particular fault—of which he might be proved guilty or innocent.» (C. S. Lewis, Studies in Words. Cambridge University Press, 1960)
Pejorative Language As a Persuasive Strategy
- «One important feature of a narratio is that of characterization of the major players. The use of pejorative language was in order to dispose the audience in a particular direction toward one’s own viewpoint and against that of others. Hence we hear [in the epistles of St. Paul] about ‘false brothers’ ‘secretly brought in’ who ‘spy things out,’ or about ‘those reputed to be pillars,’ or about Peter’s and Barnabas’ ‘hypocrisy.’ This use of pejorative and emotional language is not accidental. It is meant to raise animus against the opposing viewpoint and sympathy for the speaker’s case.» (Ben Witherington, III, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. T&T Clark Ltd., 1998)
Euphemisms and Lexical Change
- «There are cases of euphemisms leading to lexical change in the past. For instance, imbecile originally meant ‘weak’ and idiot meant ‘non-expert, layperson.’ When these words had their meanings extended to soften the blow of saying that someone had very limited intellectual powers, the original meanings were obscured and eventually got lost. Unfortunately, when we use euphemisms, the unpleasant associations eventually catch up with the new word. Then it is time to find another one. (Surely, a more effective solution to the problem of reducing the hurt caused by using pejorative language is to change the attitudes of people who consciously or unconsciously use such language. Not an easy task.)»
(Francis Katamba, English Words: Structure, History, Usage, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2005)
Rhetoric As a Pejorative Term
- «The art of rhetoric was held in high regard from ancient Greece until late in the 19th century, occupying a prominent position in the paideia, which signified both education and culture. . . .
«Towards the end of the 19th century, rhetoric fell into disrepute and was no longer taught in the various educational institutions. The word ‘rhetoric’ received a pejorative meaning, suggesting the use of underhanded tricks, fraud, and deceit, or the stringing together of hollow words, hackneyed expressions and mere platitudes. To be rhetorical was to be bombastic.»
(Samuel Ijsseling, Rhetoric and Philosophy in Conflict: An Historical Survey, 1975. Trans. from the Dutch by Paul Dunphy. Martinus Nijhoff, 1976) - «Rhetoric is not a term to embrace lightly; it is too pockmarked by a century in which it has been deemed to be associated merely with sophistication (in the less positive sense of that word), cant and emptiness. It has seemed to suggest a state in which language floats free of its context and thus becomes deracinated, superfluous—perhaps inflated—and ultimately meaningless. This palsied view of rhetoric is not new, however. The earliest recorded pejorative reference to rhetoric in English, according to the OED, dates from the mid-sixteenth century. Plato was fiercely critical of it. It seems that the epithetic phrase ‘sweet rhetoric’ has been particularly far from people’s mouths in the last hundred years or so.»
(Richard Andrews, «Introduction.» Rebirth of Rhetoric: Essays in Language, Culture and Education. Routledge, 1992)
Adjective
Children born with an extra chromosome 21 are healthy, conspicuously happy and destined to live for many years. But they are not considered, in that pejorative word, ‘normal’.
—
Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
The word barbarian was used by the Greeks, to designate an alien, and therefore, by definition, someone inferior in culture to a Hellene. The Romans applied this in the pejorative sense to the people who came to live along the Rhine-Danube frontier.
—Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
On occasion they expressed a preference for the terms Latino or Hispanic if that would assist them in escaping from the term Puerto Rican, which became, at times, almost pejorative.
—John Hope Franklin, «The Land of Room Enough,» 1981,
in Race and History, 1989
a word with pejorative connotations
the reviewer used the pejorative word “versifier” to refer to the writer, whose poems had struck a responsive chord with the general public
Recent Examples on the Web
Another admonition might be appropriate: Do not use a pejorative when naming your work.
—Charles Isherwood, WSJ, 24 Mar. 2023
Kooky is a word thrown around a lot to describe the new Netflix show — but, no, it’s not meant as a pejorative.
—Andy Meek, BGR, 23 Nov. 2022
In mainstream media, outright slurs are forbidden (though not everyone abides) and anything that smells pejorative is called out.
—Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 28 Dec. 2012
Among practitioners, the word is considered a pejorative.
—Dieu-nalio Chery, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2022
Analytics has become a catchall pejorative applied to any bold, unconventional decision a coach might make—especially one that fails.
—Alex Kirshner, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2022
Democrats began to turn the GOP’s favorite pejorative against the Rehnquist and Roberts Courts, accusing them of judicial activism.
—Ian Macdougall, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
In fact, his ties to Shaker Heights are often used as a pejorative compared to the rough upbringing of his method-acting peers such as Marlon Brando.
—John Benson, cleveland, 15 Aug. 2022
Okay, better, but wasn’t there something romantic and pompous—silly, to employ a favorite pejorative—in the poem’s very conception?
—Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
Historically a pejorative term, many LGBTQ people are reclaiming it as a helpful catchall.
—Lauren Mcgaughy, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2023
To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all.
—Diana Pearl, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023
Being deemed a low performer—a pejorative term that has a connotation of not meeting expectations and being considered in the lower end of the workforce—is a red flag signaling you may be selected for the next round of downsizing.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023
These overused words can be pejorative and simplistic, especially when they’re used as euphemisms for Africa.
—Nafeesah Allen, House Beautiful, 13 May 2021
Historically a pejorative term, many LGBTQ people are reclaiming it as a helpful catchall.
—Dallas News, 26 Oct. 2022
The Detroit Free Press and The New York Times were among the newspapers that covered the heckling incident, and neither mentioned a pejorative chant.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2022
Today that term is considered pejorative; equivalent terms in Central, Southern and Eastern European languages, derived from the Greek atsiganoi, are highly derogatory as well.
—Alaric Dearment, The New Republic, 1 Nov. 2022
Often the term pagan is used to encompass the faiths outside of the Abrahamic religions, but because of the pejorative connotations of pagan this is probably not advisable.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2013
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘pejorative.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you. We all know this age-old saying, and we all know that words can hurt. But did you know that certain slurs, insults, and other pejorated words haven’t always had such negative meanings?
Definition of pejoration in a sentence
Pejoration is the process by which a word develops a negative meaning or negative connotations over time. These words did not always have negative connotations but, as society progresses and our use of language changes, the meaning of words can change and develop.
Some immediate examples of pejorated words include notorious (which used to mean ‘well-known’) and hussy (which in the 16th century meant housewife. In modern times we call women who act improperly a ‘hussy’).
Pejoration is therefore a type of semantic change.
Semantic change refers to a change in the meaning of a word over time.
Pejoration is sometimes called ‘deterioration’ or ‘degeneration’. All terms can be used synonymously however the term ‘pejoration’ is most commonly used.
The term derives from the Latin word ‘peior’ meaning ‘worse’ whilst the suffix ‘-ation’ refers to a process or result. The term ‘pejoration’ therefore refers to the process by which a word becomes pejorative.
Pejorative meaning
A word that is ‘pejorative’ is a word that expresses disapproval, discontent, criticism, or other negative connotations. Pejorative language may be used as a slur or to insult someone.
It is important to remember that different terms are perceived as pejorative by different groups of people. For example, people in certain social or ethnic groups may perceive a term as pejorative that others don’t (and vice versa). This can develop over time as societal values change.
Pejorative synonym
Other synonyms you may find for pejorative include, disparaging, derogatory, deprecatory, degrading, and belittling. The term ‘pejorative’ therefore refers to when a word becomes pejorative (or synonyms of the word, as seen above).
Pejoration examples in the English Language
Now that we know what the term pejoration means, let’s delve a bit deeper into examples of pejoration in everyday life.
Everyday pejoration examples
Some examples of everyday pejorated words include silly, attitude, awful, cunning/crafty.
Silly
In the Early Middle English period (11th-13th century), the word ‘seely’ (or ‘sely’) was used to describe someone as happy, fortunate, or blessed. As time went on, the definition shifted to mean someone innocent, holy, and pure. Then again to mean someone naïve.
Eventually, the word became associated with its present-day connotations of foolishness and idiocy.
We see examples of Shakespeare using ‘silly’ in the same context that we would use today e.g. ‘this is the silliest stuff that ever I heard’ — Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595). Here, ‘silliest’ refers to the most ridiculous and stupid thing the speaker has ever heard.
This pejorated word example demonstrates how the meaning of the word has changed since the Middle English period, developing negative connotations over time.
Attitude
The word ‘attitude’ is technically a term that describes a figure’s posture or position in a piece of art, as well as describing someone’s mental state or mode of thinking.
However, in today’s society, the word ‘attitude’ is commonly thought of in its negative context rather than simply describing someone’s thoughts on something.
For example, if we were to say ‘she’s got an attitude’ it would suggest the person is rude, arrogant, and confrontational.
This is an example of pejoration as a fairly neutral term that has developed negative connotations over time and is now commonly used in a pejorative way.
Fig. 1 — ‘Attitude’ often has negative connotations.
Awful
Believe it or not, the term ‘awful’ used to have positive connotations, similar to the words ‘awe-inspiring’ and ‘awesome’. It was understood in the literal sense i.e. ‘worthy of awe’. However, things that are worthy of awe aren’t always positive. Over time, the word ‘awful’ developed negative connotations of something that is bad.
Nowadays, ‘awful’ has particularly bad connotations and is used to describe something that is dreadful or appalling. This is a great example of pejoration as the meaning of the word has greatly changed from having positive connotations to very negative connotations.
Cunning/crafty
In Middle English, the words ‘cunning’ and ‘crafty’ were used in a positive way to describe a knowledgeable, skilful person, such as a ‘cunning tradesman’ or a ‘crafty silversmith’.
Since then, the words ‘cunning’ and ‘crafty’ have gone through the process of pejoration, both referring to someone who is dishonest and skilful in deceiving others. Both words have therefore developed negative connotations and are seen as pejorative.
Tip: Studying the etymology of a word allows you to see the history of a word or phrase and the changes in its meaning over time.
How does language become pejorative?
There is no specific reason why some language becomes pejorative. However, some possible reasons include:
- Shift in societal values – over time our values as a society change. This can lead to shifts in language and meaning associated with these changing values e.g. certain words may become politically incorrect.
- Euphemisms— euphemisms are words that refer to something unpleasant in an indirect way e.g. using the word ‘restroom’ to refer to the toilet. These euphemisms can then develop negative meanings as they become associated with an unpleasant subject.
Pejoration of female-related terms
Language reflects our cultural attitudes, both from the past and in the present. This is why it is interesting studying the meaning of words and how they have changed over time.
When looking at the history of terms used to describe women, we find that many of the words have become pejorative over the years, reflecting sexism in society and negative attitudes towards women.
Let’s look at some examples of pejoration of female-related terms:
In the past, the word ‘mistress’ mainly referred to a woman who had authority and was the female equivalent of the word ‘master’. However, this term went through the process of pejoration and, over time, has come to refer to the side girlfriend of a married man.
Another example is the word ‘spinster’ which used to refer to women who worked spinning yarn or thread. Over time, it became associated with unmarried women and gained negative connotations of undesirability.
If we compare these words to the male equivalent, we see a big difference in meaning. ‘Master’ is the male equivalent of ‘mistress’ and has connotations of power and control while ‘bachelor’ is the male equivalent of ‘spinster’ and has connotations of independence and wealth (think ‘bachelor pads’ with huge TVs and a city view).
So why do female-related terms, that were once simply equivalent to the male-related terms, become so pejorative? The language we use is reflective of our cultural attitudes, suggesting that the imbalance of word meaning is reflective of a continuing imbalance of power between men and women in society.
What is the importance of pejoration?
The process of pejoration reflects how social values and perceptions of language have changed over the years. The English language is constantly changing and adapting to suit the societies that use it. This means that pejoration is an important process in linguistics as it allows people to fully make use of a language and use it to express what they mean.
Dictionaries are constantly being revised and, as the meaning of a word changes, the meaning in the dictionary will also change.
Who knows which words are next in the process of pejoration. For example, imagine if being called ‘nice’ or ‘lovely’ is an insult in a few hundred years time! Only time will tell.
Amelioration and pejoration
The opposite of pejoration is a process called ‘amelioration’, which is another type of semantic change.
Amelioration is the process by which a word develops a positive meaning over time.
An example of this is the word ‘terrific’ which originally described something that caused terror or fear. Over time, the meaning of the word weakened, changing to mean ‘severe’ e.g. ‘I have a terrific headache!’ (‘I have a severe headache!’). In the late 19th century, ‘terrific’ developed the positive meaning, similar to the word ‘excellent’, that we know today.
Other types of semantic change
As we have mentioned, pejoration and amelioration are types of semantic change. There are three other types of semantic change. These are:
Narrowing
Narrowing is the process by which the meaning of a word becomes more specific over time. For example, the word ‘hound’ originally referred to all dogs whereas now it refers to a specific type of hunting dog, as seen in the dictionary definition. This is an example of narrowing as the meaning has become less generalised.
Broadening
Broadening is the process by which the meaning of a word becomes more generalised over time. For example, the word ‘business’ was originally used to refer to a state of being busy; however, the meaning broadened over time to refer to an occupation or commercial activity. This is an example of broadening as the meaning has become less specific.
Semantic reclamation
Semantic reclamation is when a word is ‘reclaimed’ by individuals or groups that the word was once used to oppress. An example of this is the word ‘suffragette’ which was first used by a reporter to belittle the women fighting for the vote. The suffragettes reclaimed the word as their own and it is now the defining word in the dictionary describing women who protest the right to vote.
Pejoration — Key Takeaways
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Pejoration is the process by which a word develops a negative meaning or negative connotations over time. It is a type of semantic change.
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The process of pejoration occurs as the values of a society shift. This can lead to shifts in language and meaning associated with these changing values.
-
It is important to remember that different terms are perceived as pejorative by different groups of people.
-
An example of pejoration is the word ‘silly’ which meant ‘happy’ or ‘fortunate’ in the Middle English period. The meaning shifted to mean ‘innocent’ or ‘holy’, then again to ‘naïve’. Nowadays, ‘silly’ has negative connotations of foolishness and idiocy.
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The opposite of pejoration is a process called ‘amelioration’. Amelioration is the process by which a word develops a positive meaning over time.
Asked by: Maxime Gutkowski
Score: 4.6/5
(26 votes)
A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard.
What are pejorative prefixes?
Pejorative prefixes are the prefixes which carry pejorative meaning. The prefixes which are included in the group of pejorative prefixes are mis- which means ‘wrongly’ or ‘astray’, mal- that means ‘bad(ly)’, and pseudo- that means ‘false’ or ‘imitation.
What’s an insulting word?
derogatory, rude, disrespectful, hurtful, offensive, disparaging, degrading, repulsive, biting, slighting, ridiculing, discourteous, insolent, uncivil.
What is it called when an author makes up a word?
A neologism (/niːˈɒlədʒɪzəm/; from Greek νέο- néo-, «new» and λόγος lógos, «speech, utterance») is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language. …
What does dolefully mean?
1 : full of grief : cheerless a doleful face. 2 : expressing grief : sad a doleful melody. 3 : causing grief or affliction a doleful loss.
39 related questions found
What can I say instead of sad?
20 words to use instead of ‘sad’
- Hopeless.
- Depressed.
- Mournful.
- Despairing.
- Miserable.
- Downcast.
- Gloomy.
- Heartbroken.
Can pejorative people?
A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard.
What is a recent neologism?
Neologisms are newly coined terms, words, or phrases, that may be commonly used in everyday life but have yet to be formally accepted as constituting mainstream language.
What is word salad in psychology?
1 psychology : unintelligible, extremely disorganized speech or writing manifested as a symptom of a mental disorder (such as schizophrenia) Damage to Wernicke’s area can result in the loss of semantic associations … .
What is a person who makes a dictionary called?
A lexicographer is a person who writes and edits dictionaries.
What do you call someone you hate?
8 Answers. You could use «enemy«, «antagonist», «adversary», «foe», «rival», or «opposition».
What is a imbecile person?
English Language Learners Definition of imbecile
: a very stupid person : an idiot or fool. See the full definition for imbecile in the English Language Learners Dictionary. imbecile. noun. im·be·cile | ˈim-bə-səl
What are examples of Locatives?
Many prepositional phrases are also locatives, but do not appear in dictionaries. Many words suffixed with -side or with -ward can be used locatively in rare, unusual or nonstandard ways, e.g. Where is he? Oh, he’s oceanside, meaning near or beside the ocean, or he’s oceanward meaning on the way to the ocean.
Which word is a conversion here in word formation?
Examples of verbification in the English language number in the thousands, including some of the most common words such as mail and e-mail, strike, talk, salt, pepper, switch, bed, sleep, ship, train, stop, drink, cup, lure, mutter, dress, dizzy, divorce, fool, merge, to be found on virtually every page in the …
What is prefix of excusable?
The — prefix is a privative and the word means the opposite of excusable that is, «unable to be excused, not excusable». … The prefix in- arises from the Latin for «in, inside, within» and inflammable derives from the Latin root inflammāre meaning «able to be set alight, able to kindle a flame».
What comes to your mind when you hear the word salad?
A word salad, or schizophasia, is a «confused or unintelligible mixture of seemingly random words and phrases», most often used to describe a symptom of a neurological or mental disorder. … The term schizophasia is used in particular to describe the confused language that may be evident in schizophrenia.
What is the most common type of delusion?
Persecutory delusion
This is the most common form of delusional disorder. In this form, the affected person fears they are being stalked, spied upon, obstructed, poisoned, conspired against or harassed by other individuals or an organization.
What is an example of alogia?
Your speech problems may be caused by other things, like psychosis or anxiety. That’s called secondary alogia. For example, you may not talk because you hear voices that tell you not to speak. Or you might not talk because you feel nervous or paranoid around other people.
What is neologism example?
The English language is constantly picking up neologisms. Recently, for example, computer technology has added a number of new terms to the language. «Webinar,» «malware,» «netroots,» and «blogosphere» are just a few examples of modern-day neologisms that have been integrated into American English.
How does neologism work?
A neologism (from Greek néo-, meaning ‘new’ and logos, meaning ‘speech, utterance’) is a blend of existing fragments to forge anew. … So it goes with neologism. According to modern psychiatry, the use of words that have meaning only to the person using them is common in children.
Is selfie a neologism?
In 2004, two years after that blitzed Aussie coined the neologism, the word had spread enough that Flickr created the hashtag #selfie on its website. … Selfie was the top word on a shortlist of trendy new words and expressions on the Oxford list that included a few others that seem likely to endure.
What is a pejorative example?
pejorative pih-JOR-uh-tiv adjective. : having negative connotations; especially : tending to disparage or belittle : depreciatory. Examples. The captain has come under fire for making pejorative remarks about teammates. «There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.
What does woke mean slang?
Woke (/woʊk/ wohk) is a term, originating in the United States, that originally referred to awareness about racial prejudice and discrimination. It subsequently came to encompass an awareness of other issues of social inequality, for instance, regarding gender and sexual orientation.
How do you say your sad?
When you’re sad, you might describe yourself as feeling:
- lonely.
- heartbroken.
- gloomy.
- disappointed.
- hopeless.
- grieved.
- unhappy.
- lost.
How do you express sadness?
Here are a few ways to express your sadness:
- Let it out: vocalize your feelings (cry, yell, scream, etc.)
- Get creative: draw, paint or sculpt.
- Let loose: listen to music that reflects your sadness and dance to it.
- Put it in writing: write about your feelings in a journal or keep a sadness diary.