CNJ
December 25th 07, 07:36 PM
by adding -
ful to a noun-verb. None of the now-existing adverbs was retained, except
for a very few already ending in -wise: the -wise termination was
invariable. The word well, for example, was replaced by goodwise.
In addition, any word -- this again applied in principle to every word
in the language -- could be negatived by adding the affix un-, or could be
strengthened by the affix plus-, or, for still greater emphasis,
doubleplus-. Thus, for example, uncold meant 'warm', while pluscold and
doublepluscold meant, respectively, 'very cold' and 'superlatively cold'.
It was also possible, as in present-day English, to modify the meaning of
almost any word by prepositional affixes such as ante-, post-, up-, down-,
etc. By such methods it was found possible to bring about an enormous
diminution of vocabulary. Given, for instance, the word good, there was no
need for such a word as bad, since the required meaning was equally well --
indeed, better -- expressed by ungood. All that was necessary, in any case
where two words formed a natural pair of opposites, was to decide which of
them to suppress. Dark, for example, could be replac
ful to a noun-verb. None of the now-existing adverbs was retained, except
for a very few already ending in -wise: the -wise termination was
invariable. The word well, for example, was replaced by goodwise.
In addition, any word -- this again applied in principle to every word
in the language -- could be negatived by adding the affix un-, or could be
strengthened by the affix plus-, or, for still greater emphasis,
doubleplus-. Thus, for example, uncold meant 'warm', while pluscold and
doublepluscold meant, respectively, 'very cold' and 'superlatively cold'.
It was also possible, as in present-day English, to modify the meaning of
almost any word by prepositional affixes such as ante-, post-, up-, down-,
etc. By such methods it was found possible to bring about an enormous
diminution of vocabulary. Given, for instance, the word good, there was no
need for such a word as bad, since the required meaning was equally well --
indeed, better -- expressed by ungood. All that was necessary, in any case
where two words formed a natural pair of opposites, was to decide which of
them to suppress. Dark, for example, could be replac