Lesson 1 Vocab - Our Evolving Language

A word formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase

• acronym

• metonymy

• palindrome

• portmanteau word

To attach a part to the beginning or end of a word

• acronym

• affix

• colloquial

• oxymoron

The invention of new words or an invented word or phrase

• coinage

• affix

• portmanteau word

• diminutive

Words used in ordinary or familiar conversation that are not formal

• colloquial

• diminutive

• coinage

• spoonerism

A suffix (word ending) that indicates small size, youth, or familiarity

• diminutive

• palindrome

• acronym

• affix

A figure of speech that substitutes a word with a different but closely associated word.

• metonymy

• acronym

• coinage

• oxymoron

An expression that contains a contradiction of terms

• oxymoron

• metonymy

• spoonerism

• colloquial

A word or expression that is spelled the same forward and backward.

• palindrome

• oxymoron

• affix

• portmanteau word

A word formed by combining the sounds & meanings of two different words

• portmanteau word

• spoonerism

• oxymoron

• diminutive

A mistake in which the speaker switches the first letters of two words

• spoonerism

• portmanteau word

• metonymy

• coinage