Old Words

As new words are included in dictionaries, old words are sometimes dropped, not for room, but because they are no longer in use. Compilers of the Collins Dictionary have a list of words they are considering dropping from the new edition.
Dictionary compilers at Collins have decided that the word list for the forthcoming edition of its largest volume is embrangled with words so obscure that they are linguistic recrement. Such words, they say, must be exuviated abstergently to make room for modern additions that will act as a roborant for the book.

Readers who vilipend the compilers’ decision and vaticinate that society will be poorer without little-used words have been offered a chance to save them from the endangered list Collins, which is owned by News Corporation, parent company of The Times, has agreed that words will be granted a reprieve if evidence of their popularity emerges before February, when the word list is finalised.

Did you understand that? If so, you may want to vote on your favorite words to keep in the dictionary. Link -Thanks, Jayne Howley!

Taking all these obscure words OUT of the Dictionary is going to make taking the Graduate Record Examination even more impossible!

On a more serious note, eliminating vocabulary to the void of time and space doesn't seem very practical. Somewhere down the line, we'll hit thesaurus on our word processors and be severely disappointed with the slim choices available.
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I agree. The dictionary is where you are supposed to find all sorts of obscure words. (also, how else will annoyingly good Scrabble players prove they are using a real word).

Also, a lot of those words were new to me, but 'forthcoming' and 'reprieve' are cosidered obscure?!
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I'm glad I'm not the only old word dork out there.

While I don't use them when writing, I do love to throw them out in regular conversation just to screw with people.

Removing old words from the dictionary is fine. That's what a thesaurus is for.

Doubleplusgood.
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Hear hear - let's show some respect for elderly words. They grow more honorable with age. On my shelf there are several books filled with old words, such as Poplollies & Bellibones, Words On Words, and a 80's edition of Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. Growing up, I flipped through the pages of that dictionary and read words aloud, relishing the sound of those supposedly antiquated words on my tongue.

Words are like a fine wine, getting better with age.

I hope to add a feature on Word Watcher specifically dedicated to old, lesser used words in the future.
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