GRE Gyaan

One of the recent developed intrests in me..english grammar and neologism..though baffled at the new kind of change in my orientations towards passing times..i'm still doing it..Considering the fact that majority of people who read my blogs(if any..) are also trying their luck at various competetive exams..i'm here publishing my discoveries on my blogpage..To start off with:

Etymology: study of origin of words...for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/etymolo

Portmanteau: words formed by combining two other words

examples of Portmanteau words are
# ad infinauseam from ad infinitum and ad nauseam
# brownload from brown and download - a term for defecation in our digital age
#lexiconnoisseur from lexicon and connoisseur.
#metrosexual most commonly from metropolitan and homosexual.
# infotainment from information and entertainment

Siamese twins
The phrase Siamese twins in the context of the English language refers to a pair or grouping of words that is often used together as an idiomatic expression and usually conjoined by the words and or or

examples of Siamese twins are:

* alive and kicking
* back and forth
* be-all and end-all
* nuts and bolts
* trial and error
* sick and tired
* take it or leave it
* sooner or later
* more or less
* give and take
* to and fro
* by hook or by crook
* now and then
* on and off

Onomatopoeia
onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that employs a word, or occasionally, a grouping of words, that imitates, echoes, or suggests the object it is describing, such as "bang" or "click", or animal noises such as "moo", "quack" or "meow".

some everyday common words are:

* Bam
* Bang
* Beep
* Boing
* Boom
* Burp
* Boosh
* Clap
* Crackle
* Ding-dong
* Hiccup
* Ka-boom
* Ping pong
* Plop
* Poof
* Pow
* Thud
* Tick-tock
* Squish
* Swoosh
* Zap

Neologism
A neologism is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created.Neologisms are especially useful in identifying inventions, new phenomena, or old ideas which have taken on a new cultural context.

Euphemism
A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces, or in the case of doublespeak to make it less troublesome for the speaker.

Some common citings of euphemism are..

# restroom for toilet room (the word toilet was itself originally a euphemism).
# making love to, getting it on, doing it,or sleeping with for having sexual intercourse with
# motion discomfort bag and air-sickness bag for vomit bag
# sanitary landfill for garbage dump (and a temporary garbage dump is a transfer station)
# pre-owned vehicles for used cars
# the big C for cancer (in addition, some people whisper the word when they say it in public, and doctors have euphemisms to use in front of patients, e.g. "c.a." and "neoplasm")
# bathroom tissue, t.p., or bath tissue for toilet paper (Usually used by toilet paper manufacturers)
# kicked the bucket, went to a better place, went to heaven/god, ........ for 'death'
# sanitation worker/engineer for "garbage man"
#landscape technician for gardener
#Memorial park for graveyard
# Devoloping countries for poor countries
# Adult film for pornographic film