People love words. We may not use them adroitly, spell them correctly, or like those who possess larger word-hoards than we, but The New York Times minifeature “That Should Be a Word” draws thousand of views for coinages like lostentatious (“overly proud of your downfall”). And there are more than a dozen Web sites devoted to the exhumation of obsolete words that should be made to stand and walk again. One of my favorites is Heather Carreiro’s 20 Obsolete English Words That Should Make a Comeback.” Her list includes such satisfying mouthfuls as ludibrious (“apt to be a subject of jest or mockery”) and perissology (“use of more words than are necessary”).
Some of Heather’s words, of course, are pure regional slang, like the Scots malagrugrous (“dismal”). Others, like yemeles (“careless, heedless, negligent”), seem to have been in mainstream use for several…