What does nonsense word mean

Not to be confused with Nonce word.

A nonsense word, unlike a sememe, may have no definition. Nonsense words can be classified depending on their orthographic and phonetic similarity with (meaningful) words.[1] If it can be pronounced according to a language’s phonotactics, it is a pseudoword.[2] Nonsense words are used in literature for poetic or humorous effect. Proper names of real or fictional entities are sometimes nonsense words.

Nonsense words are also used by researchers and educators as a tool to assess a learner’s phonetic decoding ability. The words follow phonetic rules but have no meaning.[3]

A stunt word is a nonsense word used for a special effect, or to attract attention, as part of a performance. Such words are a feature of the work of Dr. Seuss («Sometimes I am quite certain there’s a Jertain in the curtain»).[4]

The ability to infer the (hypothetical) meaning of a nonsense word from context is used to test for brain damage.[5]

See alsoEdit

  • «Gostak»
  • «Jabberwocky»
  • «Runcible»
  • Meaning (linguistics)
  • Nonce word
  • Nonsense syllable
  • Nonsense verse
  • Neologism
  • Vocable
  • Word salad

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Raymond M. Klein; Patricia A. McMullen (1999). Converging Methods for Understanding Reading and Dyslexia. MIT Press. pp. 67–68. ISBN 978-0-262-11247-5.
  2. ^ Natalie Wilson Rathvon (2004). Early Reading Assessment: A Practitioner’s Handbook. Guilford Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-57230-984-5.
  3. ^ «DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency, University of Oregon».
  4. ^ «STUNT WORD». Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 3 April 2019.
  5. ^ Muriel Deutsch Lezak (2004). Neuropsychological Assessment 4e. Oxford University Press. p. 596. ISBN 978-0-19-511121-7.
 

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Updated on March 22, 2019

A nonsense word is a string of letters that may resemble a conventional word but does not appear in any standard dictionary. A nonsense word is a type of neologism, usually created for comic effect. Also called a pseudoword.

In The Life of Language (2012), Sol Steinmetz and Barbara Ann Kipfer observe that a nonsense word «may not have a precise meaning or any meaning for that matter. It is coined to create a particular effect, and if that effect works well, the nonsense word becomes a permanent fixture in the language, like [Lewis Carroll’s] chortle and frabjous.» 

Nonsense words are sometimes used by linguists to illustrate grammatical principles that operate even when there’s no semantic indication of the word’s function. 

Examples and Observations

  • «On the top of the Crumpetty TreeThe Quangle Wangle sat,
    But his face you could not see,
    On account of his Beaver Hat.
    For his Hat was a hundred and two feet wide,
    With ribbons and bibbons on every side
    And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,
    So that nobody ever could see the face
    Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.»
    (Edward Lear, «The Quangle Wangle’s Hat,» 1877)
  • From Lewis Carroll’s «Jabberwocky»
    — «Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
    Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
    All mimsy were the borogoves,
    And the mome raths outgrabe.»
    (Lewis Carroll, «Jabberwocky.» Through the Looking-Glass, 1871)
    — «A number of words originally coined or used as nonsense words have taken on specific meanings in subsequent use. Renowned among such words is jabberwocky, used by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass as the title of a nonsense poem about a fantastic monster called a jabberwock. A meaningless nonsense word itself, jabberwocky appropriately enough became a generic term for meaningless speech or writing.»
    (The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word Histories, 1991)
    — «[‘Jabberwocky’] is famous for consisting of nonsense words mixed in with normal English words. What makes the poem so vivid and effective in many respects is the ability of the author to evoke images based on the grammatical knowledge of the native or highly proficient non-native speaker.»
    (Andrea DeCapua, Grammar for Teachers. Springer, 2008)

  • A Sampling of Dr. Seuss’s Nonsense Words
    — «How I like to box! So, every day, I buy a gox. In yellow socks I box my gox.»
    (Dr. Seuss, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, 1960)
    — «This thing is a Thneed.
    A Thneed’s a FineSomethingThatAllPeopleNeed!
    It’s a shirt. It’s a sock. It’s a glove. It’s a hat.
    But it has other uses. Yes, far beyond that.»
    (Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, 1971)
    — «Sometimes I have the feeling there’s a zlock behind the clock.
    And that zelf up on that shelf! I have talked to him myself.
    That’s the kind of house I live in. There’s a nink in the sink.
    And a zamp in the lamp. And they’re rather nice . . . I think.»
    (Dr. Seuss, There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, 1974)
  • Which Nonsense Words Make Us Laugh?
    «[A new] study, led by a team from the department of psychology at the University of Alberta, explored the theory that some nonsense words are inherently funnier than others–in part because they are simply less expected. The team used a computer program to generate thousands of random nonsense words and then asked almost 1,000 students to rate them for ‘funniness.’ . . .
    «The team found that some words were indeed funnier than others. Some nonsense words, such as blablesoc, were consistently rated by the students as funny while others, such as exthe, were consistently rated as unfunny. . . .
    «Among the funniest nonsense words thrown up by the test were subvick, quingel, flingam, and probble. Among the least funny were tatinse, retsits, and tessina.»
    (Jamie Dowrd, «It’s All a Lot of Flingam: Why Nonsense Words Make Us Laugh.» The Guardian [UK], November 29, 2015)

  • Sarcastic Expressions
    «[T]here is a phonological process in Yiddish-influenced dialects of English that creates expressions of sarcasm by rhyming with a nonsense word whose onset is shm-: ‘Oedipus-Shmedipus!’ Just so you love your mother!'»
    (Ray Jackendoff, Foundations of Language. Oxford University Press, 2002)
  • Quark
    «It was [Murray] Gell-Mann who introduced the word quark, after a nonsense word in James Joyce’s novel, Finnegan’s Wake. Since in the quark theory of matter, the proton is made up of three quarks, the quotation from Joyce, ‘Three quarks for Muster Mark!’ is very appropriate and Gell-Mann’s name has stuck.»
    (Tony Hey and Patrick Walters, The New Quantum Universe. Cambridge University Press, 2003)
  • Nonsense Words as Placeholders
    «Nonsense words are a hugely useful feature of speech. They help us out when we’re searching for a word and don’t want to stop ourselves in mid-flow. They’re a lifeline in cases where we don’t know what to call something or have forgotten its name. And they’re available when we feel that something is not worth a precise mention or we want to be deliberately vague. . . .
    «The curious forms giggombob, jiggembob, and kickumbob all appear in the early-17th century—usually in plays—but seem to have fallen out of use a century later. They were probably overtaken by forms based on thing. Thingum and thingam are both recorded in the 17th century, especially in American English . . ..»
    (David Crystal, The Story of English in 100 Words. Profile Books, 2011)

Источник

words or language having little or no sense or meaning. conduct, action, etc., that is senseless, foolish, or absurd: to have tolerated enough nonsense.something absurd or fatuous: the utter nonsense of such a suggestion. anything of trifling importance or of little or no use.

Contents

  • 1 What is the full meaning of nonsense?
  • 2 Is nonsense a bad word?
  • 3 What does talking nonsense mean?
  • 4 What is an example of a nonsense word?
  • 5 What do you call a person who talks nonsense?
  • 6 What are the 5 longest words?
  • 7 What is hello in gibberish?
  • 8 What do no nonsense mean?
  • 9 What is the root word of nonsense?
  • 10 How do I stop speaking nonsense?
  • 11 What is a nonsense syllable in psychology?
  • 12 What do you call a person who thinks a lot?
  • 13 Which word takes 3 hours to say?
  • 14 What is the hardest word ever?
  • 15 What’s the most difficult word to say?
  • 16 What is the easiest language to learn?
  • 17 How do you make a secret language with friends?
  • 18 What is a no nonsense person like?
  • 19 How would you describe a no nonsense person?
  • 20 How do you use nonsense in a sentence?

What is the full meaning of nonsense?

Nonsense is defined as words that have no actual meaning, behavior that is silly and foolish or is a word used to express disagreement. Silly and meaningless baby talk is an example of nonsense. Behaving in a silly and foolish manner is an example of nonsense.

Is nonsense a bad word?

“Nonsense” is not used for cursing. As has been stated before, it is a more polite word and would be used (and preferred) as an alternative to cursing. Some people may, however, be offended by it, but that is because the speaker is telling them that what they are saying makes no sense.

What does talking nonsense mean?

If you say that something spoken or written is nonsense, you mean that you consider it to be untrue or silly.

What is an example of a nonsense word?

Renowned among such words is jabberwocky, used by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass as the title of a nonsense poem about a fantastic monster called a jabberwock. A meaningless nonsense word itself, jabberwocky appropriately enough became a generic term for meaningless speech or writing.”

What do you call a person who talks nonsense?

noun One who talks nonsense in a blustering way; a blusterer.

What are the 5 longest words?

Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines the ten longest words in the English language.

  • Floccinaucinihilipilification (29 letters)
  • Antidisestablishmentarianism (28 letters)
  • Honorificabilitudinitatibus (27 letters)
  • Thyroparathyroidectomized (25 letters)
  • Dichlorodifluoromethane (23 letters)
  • Incomprehensibilities (21 letters)

What is hello in gibberish?

Some examples of Gibberish words (and their English translations) include: Hothagellothago (Hello)

What do no nonsense mean?

not tolerating anything frivolous or trifling; firm and businesslike: a no-nonsense approach to money matters; a no-nonsense teacher with well-behaved classes.plain and simple; not fancy, complicated, or elegant: no-nonsense recipes for easy preparation.

What is the root word of nonsense?

The English prefix non-, which means “not,” appears in hundreds of English vocabulary words, such as nonsense, nonfat, and nonreturnable. You can remember that the prefix non- means “not” via the word nonpoisonous, for a substance that is nonpoisonous is “not” poisonous.

How do I stop speaking nonsense?

11 Ways To Talk Less And Listen More

  1. Learn to control your impulse.
  2. Practice not interrupting people.
  3. Avoid commandeering the conversation.
  4. Ask questions.
  5. Shift gratification to listening.
  6. Accept differences of opinion.
  7. Think before you speak.
  8. Work on your self-esteem.

What is a nonsense syllable in psychology?

any three-letter nonword used in learning and memory research to study learning of items that do not already have meaning or associations with other information in memory.

What do you call a person who thinks a lot?

The word you are looking for is “pensive“.

Which word takes 3 hours to say?

protein titin
Note the ellipses. All told, the full chemical name for the human protein titin is 189,819 letters, and takes about three-and-a-half hours to pronounce. The problem with including chemical names is that there’s essentially no limit to how long they can be.

What is the hardest word ever?

Top 10 Hardest Words to Spell

  • Weird.
  • Intelligence.
  • Pronunciation.
  • Handkerchief.
  • logorrhea.
  • Chiaroscurist.
  • Pochemuchka. A Russian term used when a person asks too many questions.
  • Gobbledegook. Gobbledegook is incoherent babbling in a fashion that makes no sense amounting to random words and noises to your listeners.

What’s the most difficult word to say?

The Most Difficult English Word To Pronounce

  • Colonel.
  • Penguin.
  • Sixth.
  • Isthmus.
  • Anemone.
  • Squirrel.
  • Choir.
  • Worcestershire.

What is the easiest language to learn?

And The Easiest Language To Learn Is…

  1. Norwegian. This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for English speakers.
  2. Swedish.
  3. Spanish.
  4. Dutch.
  5. Portuguese.
  6. Indonesian.
  7. Italian.
  8. French.

How do you make a secret language with friends?

Write words over and over again, practice having conversations with your friends, write notes back and for the to each other in a notebook, or send each other messages online. The more you write and speak your language, the faster it will become second nature to you. Decide how to share the language with friends.

What is a no nonsense person like?

Someone who’s no-nonsense is very efficient and businesslike. If you’re extremely practical and don’t see the point of wasting time, you’re no-nonsense.The adjective no-nonsense was first used in 1920s sporting slang, originally in the phrase “to stand to no nonsense.”

How would you describe a no nonsense person?

1. adjective. If you describe someone as a no-nonsense person, you approve of the fact that they are efficient, direct, and quite tough.

How do you use nonsense in a sentence?

having no intelligible meaning.

  1. Cut short the nonsense and return to one’s muttons.
  2. His response was full of pretentious nonsense.
  3. He said that dowsing for water is complete nonsense.
  4. I’ve had enough of your nonsense.
  5. Most of his theories are arrant nonsense.
  6. The idea is an economic nonsense.
Источник

Table of Contents

  1. Why is the following considered nonsense poetry tied his loafers licked his tongue and told about the bee He stung?
  2. What is a nonsense poem ks2?
  3. What does nonsense mean?
  4. Is Nonsense an abusive word?
  5. What is nonsense and nonsense?
  6. What is a nonsense sentence?
  7. What is a no nonsense attitude?
  8. What is the root word for nonsense?
  9. Where did the word nonsense come from?
  10. What is another word for no nonsense?
  11. How do you get a non nonsense attitude?
  12. What does no nonsense mom mean?
  13. What is the meaning of businesslike?
  14. How would you describe a non nonsense person?
  15. What does talking nonsense mean?
  16. How do I stop speaking nonsense?
  17. Is rambling a sign of mental illness?

noun. words or language having little or no sense or meaning. conduct, action, etc., that is senseless, foolish, or absurd: to have tolerated enough nonsense. something absurd or fatuous: the utter nonsense of such a suggestion. anything of trifling importance or of little or no use.

Why is the following considered nonsense poetry tied his loafers licked his tongue and told about the bee He stung?

”Tied his loafers, licked his tongue, And told about the bee he stung. ” 1 Because it rhymes. 2 Because it doesn’t rhyme.

What is a nonsense poem ks2?

Some poems use made up words to describe things, or just to make a nice sound. Nonsense poems don’t always make sense, they often use made up words, mixed up with real words. Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear and Spike Milligan are good authors to read if you like nonsense poetry.

What does nonsense mean?

A nonsense word is a word in which the letters make their most common sounds but the word has no commonly. recognized meaning. (

Is Nonsense an abusive word?

“Nonsense” is not used for cursing. As has been stated before, it is a more polite word and would be used (and preferred) as an alternative to cursing. As for “foolish”, it is SUCH a mild word that anyone who is offended by it is nought but a prissy weakling.

No, “What a nonsense” is incorrect English in the true sense: it will sound strange to any native speaker. The problem is that the noun nonsense is uncountable. You can’t say “One nonsense, two nonsenses.” “Nonsenses” isn’t even a word. So nonsense is uncountable.

What is a nonsense sentence?

A nonsense sentence has a logical, grammatical structure but no content or meaning. The second “sentence†is pure gibberish; it is a random collection of words with no logical or grammatical structure. …

What is a no nonsense attitude?

If you describe someone as a no-nonsense person, you approve of the fact that they are efficient, direct, and quite tough.

What is the root word for nonsense?

The English prefix non-, which means “not,” appears in hundreds of English vocabulary words, such as nonsense, nonfat, and nonreturnable. You can remember that the prefix non- means “not” via the word nonpoisonous, for a substance that is nonpoisonous is “not” poisonous.

Where did the word nonsense come from?

Etymology. From non- (“no, none, lack of”) +‎ sense, from c. 1610. Compare the semantically similar West Frisian ûnsin (“nonsense”), Dutch onzin (“nonsense”), German Unsinn (“nonsense”), English unsense (“nonsense”).

What is another word for no nonsense?

Synonyms for no-nonsense. earnest, grave, humorless, po-faced.

How do you get a non nonsense attitude?

7 No-Nonsense Rules To Live By

  1. Do Not Be Deterred. There will be times when you want to quit, when others want you to quit.
  2. Be Confident In Yourself. That’s right, believe.
  3. Be Willing To Negotiate.
  4. Hustle.
  5. Know What You Want And How To Get It.
  6. Be Aware Of The Bull.
  7. Stop Doing What Doesn’t Work.

What does no nonsense mom mean?

To me, a no-nonsense mum is a mom who likes to have most of the control and wants no nonsense in her kids/family if u watch this show u will understand what a no-nonsense mum is her personality is not too nice and not too mean it’s in between.Basically, a no-nonsense mum wants No Nonsense anywhere!

What is the meaning of businesslike?

1 : exhibiting qualities believed to be advantageous in business. 2 : serious, purposeful.

How would you describe a non nonsense person?

If you describe someone as a no-nonsense person, you approve of the fact that they are efficient, direct, and quite tough. If you describe something as a no-nonsense thing, you approve of the fact that it is plain and does not have unnecessary parts.

What does talking nonsense mean?

to say things that are not reasonable or have no meaning: Is it just me or was she talking nonsense in the meeting?

How do I stop speaking nonsense?

11 Ways To Talk Less And Listen More

  1. Learn to control your impulse.
  2. Practice not interrupting people.
  3. Avoid commandeering the conversation.
  4. Ask questions.
  5. Shift gratification to listening.
  6. Accept differences of opinion.
  7. Think before you speak.
  8. Work on your self-esteem.

Is rambling a sign of mental illness?

Disorganization involves thought disorders and bizarre behavior: Thought disorder refers to disorganized thinking, which becomes apparent when speech is rambling or shifts from one topic to another.

Источник

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

nonsense +‎ word

Noun[edit]

nonsense word (plural nonsense words)

  1. A neologised word that does not have a given meaning.
    • 1983, Michael E. Adelstein, Wendell Keats Sparrow, Business communications:

      George Bernard Shaw’s classic joke about English spelling is that his nonsense word ghoti should be pronounced fish. He explained: gh = like the gh in cough = fo = like the o in women = i ti = like the ti in nation = sh ghoti = fish.

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

  • neologism
  • non-word
  • nonce word
  • protologism
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