Where did the 'big words' come from?

Iamme

Philosopher
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As I post on this board, I have noticed a phenomenon that I can't explain. As I sit here and reply to a poster, I, without hesitation, have been able to dig out of thin air, a (for me) 'big word', that I haven't used in years. A word I haven't even read or seen in a long time.

What in the world is allowing me to retrieve such words out of my memory banks? These are words I never use in conversation. Yet, they have been popping right into my head, at the appropriate time. Some of these words, I can't EVER remember using.

Have any of you ever noticed this phenomenon for yourselves?
 
Beats me. Usually I just make them up. No one seems to have noticed yet.
 
Iamme said:
As I post on this board, I have noticed a phenomenon that I can't explain. As I sit here and reply to a poster, I, without hesitation, have been able to dig out of thin air, a (for me) 'big word', that I haven't used in years. A word I haven't even read or seen in a long time.

What in the world is allowing me to retrieve such words out of my memory banks? These are words I never use in conversation. Yet, they have been popping right into my head, at the appropriate time. Some of these words, I can't EVER remember using.

Have any of you ever noticed this phenomenon for yourselves?
Click to expand...
No, I've never noticed you using big words.
 
Phil---You're absolutely right. I don't; usually. But there are those rare occasions where I do snatch one out of thin air. If I was one of those who had this big-word vocabulary...then I wouldn't have even started this thread.:wink:
 
Iamme said:
As I post on this board, I have noticed a phenomenon that I can't explain. As I sit here and reply to a poster, I, without hesitation, have been able to dig out of thin air, a (for me) 'big word', that I haven't used in years. A word I haven't even read or seen in a long time.

What in the world is allowing me to retrieve such words out of my memory banks? These are words I never use in conversation. Yet, they have been popping right into my head, at the appropriate time. Some of these words, I can't EVER remember using.

Have any of you ever noticed this phenomenon for yourselves?
Click to expand...

What warps the brain? sometimes I use words that I not only can't recall using before in conversation, but words that, while real, I can't remember ever having SEEN before!

Or maybe they're not real, I'm just imagining the whole thing? :wink:
 
Iamme said:
As I post on this board, I have noticed a phenomenon that I can't explain. As I sit here and reply to a poster, I, without hesitation, have been able to dig out of thin air, a (for me) 'big word', that I haven't used in years. A word I haven't even read or seen in a long time.

What in the world is allowing me to retrieve such words out of my memory banks? These are words I never use in conversation. Yet, they have been popping right into my head, at the appropriate time. Some of these words, I can't EVER remember using.

Have any of you ever noticed this phenomenon for yourselves?
Click to expand...

The way memory works, everything links in to something else. When you read the erudite prognostications here, your memory is stimulated, with words being 'reactivated' that you may not have used for many years. They were there all along, but not visited often.

Experiments with direct probes into brains have had people recalling memories they otherwise had thought completely forgotten.

It is apparently a common experience of people writing their memoirs that, when they start delving into their memories, they start retrieving other related memories, and recalling much more than they thought they would.
 
a_unique_person said:
The way memory works, everything links in to something else. When you read the erudite prognostications here, your memory is stimulated, with words being 'reactivated' that you may not have used for many years. They were there all along, but not visited often.

Experiments with direct probes into brains have had people recalling memories they otherwise had thought completely forgotten.

It is apparently a common experience of people writing their memoirs that, when they start delving into their memories, they start retrieving other related memories, and recalling much more than they thought they would.
Click to expand...

Personally I fall inbetween the the observation you state above and the old fashioned rote method. My speech (and writing) is generally plebian, but I do tend to spice my intercourse with the periodic polysyllabic word for the purpose of more clear communication. The irony, of course is that said words often obfuscate the sentiment I am trying to convay.

For me it simply comes down to economy of language and the fact that I could ramble on for hours if I didn't have a way to truncate what I have to say. I guess I'd rather confuse people with words that they're unfamiliar with than bore them with an endless stream of familiar verbiage.
 
...*head blows up*


No, but seriously, I DO tend to use bigger words on the internet than in real life. Mostly because I often mispronounce them in RL, which defeats their original purpose.
 
Maybe it has to do with the context itself.

1) The general language employed in the forums isn't exactly what you'd call "low brow". It is entirely possible that while reading the post, just like in a conversation, you find yourself matching the language characteristics of whoever it is you're addressing.

2) Mayhaps the fact that posts are written and thus not of a necessarily rushed nature allows your brain to cull terminology that's not so mundane, but also better for purposes of conciseness and allowing you to better adjust to the esoteric nature of the discussions held here. You certainly have a better opportunity to organize your thoughts and use the "big words" in this context as opposed to conversation.
 
In person, I'm usually careful to remain tacet, because people take umbrage when they hear the polysyllabic vocalization that I am apt to ejaculate spontaneously.
:hb:
 
Did you eat a dictionary during your sleep? It's a well known phenomenon.

I once ordered from Starbucks a quick spiriferous enneahedron to dinucleotide.:eek: I was told they hadn't got the recipe.
 
Big words came from lots of little words grouping together to survive. It's just another facet of Evolution.

It's also floccinaucinihilipilificationistic.
 
Is there a polysyllabic term meaning "big words" ?

Apart from "polysyllable" I mean.

And AP- That "Flowers for Algernon " crack was a bit nasty. Still one of my favourite stories, but gods, it's sad.
 
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