Hey, what’s that word?
Nothwithstanding my recent rant regarding buzz words, I’m fascinated by the ever-changing nature of language. That’s why I like the American Heritage Dictionary—it has the etymologies, so you can see how linguistic forms and meanings have altered over the years.
While serving as the family navigator on long-distance car trips, I discovered we needed a new word that English lacks, at least as far as I know. What do you call a single highway with two or more highway designations? I call it “consequious.” For example, Interstates 81 and 64 are consequious between Staunton and Lexington, Virginia.
Here’s the etymology of my new word: com (from Old Latin), meaning “with” or “together”; -sequence (from Medieval Latin, sequentia), meaning “a continuous or related series.”
So what do you call the parents of your child’s spouse? Co-inlaws? Co-parents? We need an English word that describes that relationship. Send me your ideas. Let’s create a great new word!
–posted by Barbara Finnegan