Learning the English language requires dedication and commitment. The moment you distant yourself from it,
you become a stranger to it when you revisit it. This is as a result of its
dynamic nature, which cuts across word meaning and word formation. With
time, the meanings of certain words in the English language change. While some words
become obsolete, new words are formed on a daily basis, waiting to be
incorporated in the latest edition of any dictionary.
This article reveals some
wrong English words (mostly used by second learners of English) that are now
present in some online dictionaries. Years back, the general acceptance and
usage of these words by second learners of English almost projected these words as
correct English words but for their absence in the English dictionaries.
However, these words are now found in some online dictionaries. Does that mean they are now officially declared correct? Can we use them in our official writings? Do native speakers of English understand them? Well, I will let you ponder on that.
These words include:
1. Pepperish
This word is very common
among Nigerian English speakers to mean what the native speakers refer to as
"peppery". In fact, it is considered very incorrect when used in
formal writings and spoken English. However, the online dictionaries, "Merriam Webster Dictionary" and "Oxford Living Dictionaries", now have it as a word.
2. Disvirgin
The correct form of this
word is "deflower", that is, to take away one's virginity.
"Disvirgin" is used among Nigerian English speakers to mean
"deflower", and it's not present in most English dictionaries. As a
matter of fact, I have only seen it in one English dictionary app.
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| English app |
3. Insultive
This word is about 0.01%
as common as insulting among native speakers and does not
appear in most English dictionaries. This has made its usage unacceptable in
both spoken and written English, especially in formal settings. However,
urbandictionary.com has it as a word which embodies same meaning as insulting.
The online dictionary also explains it to mean a slang in American English.
Having said that, I will
advise you still stick to the correct forms (peppery, deflower and insulting)
of the aforementioned words because of their mutual intelligibility in the international community. Don't hesitate to use the comment box to state your views on this topic. We learn every day!