Paradise Lost…..Words Found

The Greatest English Author?

John Milton, rather than William Shakespeare, was actually the greatest neologist (*) of the English language, according to Gavin Alexander, lecturer in English at Cambridge university.

(*) neologism. n. ‘practice of innovation in language,’ 1776, from French néologisme, from neo- (see neo-) + Greek logos ‘word’ (see lecture (n.)). Meaning ‘new word or expression’ from 1803 onwards.

Words introduced into the English language (by order of magnitude, per the OED):

• John Milton 630
• Ben Jonson 558
• John Donne 342
• Shakespeare 229

Being fluent in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Spanish, French, and Italian, Milton had an excellent grounding in languages and was exceptionally well-placed to create new words to suit his literary needs.

The Five Categories of Innovation

Milton’s neologisms can be broadly split into five categories:

1. A new meaning for an existing word 

• space: Milton is believed to be the first to have used this word to refer to ‘outer space’
• terrific: used to mean ‘terrifying’ rather than ‘great’

2. a new form of an existing word (by making a noun from a verb or a verb from an adjective):

• stunning
• literalism

3. Negative forms (he was especially fond of these, with 135 entries beginning with un-):

• unprincipled
• unaccountable 
• irresponsible
• unoriginal: although Milton was also the first person ever to use ‘original’ !

4. New compound words:

• arch-fiend
• self-delusion
• love-lorn

5. Brand-new words:

• Terrific: from the Latin, terrere (to tighten) as in describing the creation of snakes in Paradise Lost
• Pandemonium: from the Greek, pan (all) and daemon (demon)
• sensuous: Milton is believed to have coined the word to make a distinction from sensual, which typically refers more directly to sexual pleasures.
• enjoyable: We use this word to describe pleasant experiences all the time, thanks to Milton.

So, without the great poet there would be no liturgical, debauchery, besottedly, unhealthily, padlock, dismissive, impassive, embellishing, fragrance, didactic or debauchery….and certainly no complacency.

Having said that, intervolve (to wind things up within each other) or opiniastrous (opinionated) rarely crop up in conversation these days….still, can’t win ’em all, eh?!

Ever the wordsmith to the end, Milton’s last words upon his death-bed were said to be:

“Death is the great key that opens the palace of Eternity.”