Shakespeare’s 5 Rules for Making Up Words (to Get Attention)

Advertising. Bloodstained. Cold-blooded. Epileptic. Fashionable. Hobnob. Moonbeam. New-fangled. Puking. Swagger. Worthless. Zany.

Those are just a sample of the many words William Shakespeare invented.

In fact, some say he invented somewhere between 1,700 and 2,200 words — possibly more. It’s no surprise the English language owes a massive debt to Shakespeare.

But Shakespeare doesn’t have a monopoly on inventing words. He wasn’t the first to do it, and he certainly wasn’t the last to create new words.

In fact, every year we introduce new words into the English language. Some fade out quickly, while others become part of the canon. …read more