Mind Inclined

Mind Inclined

By Mark Canada, Ph.D.EducationSelf-Improvement
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Mind Inclined episodes

  • Mind the Lexical Gaps

    Let's explore the coinage of words, including initialisms, acronyms, and Orwellian inventions.


    You can read this essay on Substack by clicking here: https://mindinclined.substack.com/p/7dc9ffe6-f634-45b3-8c2c-175720b63a13

    8 min
  • Is that even a word?

    "What counts as a word?" It's a fascinating question, one that takes us into the realms of both lexicology (the study of words) and lexicography (the work of dictionary-making).

    I have noticed over the years that some people--a lot, I suspect--think that words have to be "official," as if they have to undergo some scrutiny, pass a test, earn a stamp of approval from someone or something.

    Like so many other things in the world, however, the notion of "official status" for a word is complicated. Let's dive in.

    6 min
  • What's your favorite word?

    What's your favorite word? The word at the top of my list of favorites is . . . walkie-talkie.

    Would you believe that linguists have a term for this kind of word?  We call it a reduplicative, and English has scores of examples: mumbo jumbo, hurdy-gurdy, namby-pamby, mishmash, and many more. 

    Let's have some fun with reduplicatives!

    10 min
  • Poetry with a Wink

    I like a poet with a sense of humor. Today's winking bard is none other than the brilliant--and wry--John Donne. 

    Donne belonged to an age when poetry was not always somber and earnest, as it often was with, say, Keats and Poe a few centuries later. 
    Donne's humor can be seen in some of his best-known poems, including our subject for today, "The Flea."

    10 min

About Mind Inclined

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Mind Inclined is your go-to source for ideas and inspiration designed to help you elevate your mind, your life, and your world. Mind Inclined features reflections on literature, language, history, and…