Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary 2008 Update Now Available Online SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 7
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- If you have ever misheard a
song or poem and come up with your own version of the words, you are already
familiar with the concept of the "mondegreen," one of over 100 new words
included in the annual update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary,
Eleventh Edition. Mondegreen-a noun defined as a word or phrase that results
from a mishearing of something said or sung-was first coined by author Sylvia
Wright in 1954, when she wrote an article for Atlantic magazine confessing to
a childhood misinterpretation of the Scottish ballad "The Bonny Earl of
Moray." When she first heard the lyric "they had slain the Earl of Moray and
had laid him on the green," she felt terribly sorry for the "poor Lady
Mondegreen." The tradition has been going strong ever since, from "The ants
are my friends," a mangling of "The answer, my friends," by Bob Dylan, to
"There's a bathroom on the right," a bungling of "There's a bad moon on the
rise," by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
To celebrate the release of this year's new entries, Merriam-Webster
OnLine (Merriam-Webster.com) is inviting the general public to submit their
own favorite mondegreens -- both original and overheard. Submissions are due
now through July 25th, with favorites being revealed and featured online the
week beginning July 28th.
2008 also features more than a few words from the growing field of
culinary arts, from prosecco (a sparkling Italian wine) and soju (a Korean
vodka distilled from rice) to edamame (immature green soybeans) and
pescatarian (a vegetarian whose diet includes fish). Current societal trends
are reflected in this year's entries, as well. According to John Morse,
Merriam-Webster's president and publisher, webinar is "one more example of the
significant ongoing trend for electronic technologies to add words to the
language." Morse also comments on another, more ominous term: "Norovirus being
added is part of an ongoing effort to cover terms from virology that we think
the public may need to know about. Not a happy job, but one that
lexicographers have to do."
All new dictionary entries are now available online, and the 2008 print
update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary, Eleventh Edition will be
available in bookstores across the country September 1st, 2008. Both will
feature this fresh crop of new words and phrases that have successfully become
part of the mainstream English language through prolonged and widespread usage
in a variety of publications.
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Merriam-Webster Inc. acquired the rights to revise and publish Noah
Webster's dictionaries in 1843. Since then, Merriam-Webster has maintained an
ongoing commitment to innovation, scholarship, and love of language. Today,
the company continues as the leader in both print and electronic language
reference publishing with reference products, learning tools, and word games.
For more information about the company, visit www.Merriam-Webster.com.
Arthur Bicknell, Senior Publicist
Merriam-Webster Inc.
Phone: (413) 734-3134 ext. 119
E-mail: abicknell@Merriam-Webster.com
SOURCE Merriam-Webster Inc.
