Is there a term to the practice of over-inflating big words like 'edumecation' and 'philosphization'?

Question

Morphologically speaking, I suppose this is the practice of adding meaningless affixes in order to make the word appear more grandiose.

Perhaps more common in AAVE, especially the word 'edumecate'. Often used to satirical or mocking effect.

Alternatives include educamate, edumacate, like for example in MF DOOM's song Vomitspit:

Well edumacated, he heard it when he meditated / In deep theta, let her hate, the creep played her

I feel like this is a practice common enough to warrant its own name as a discrete stylistic device. But I can't find it.

I now see that I asked a similar (but different) question 5 years ago; it is probably related to eye dialect — Maarten, Mar 29 '23 at 09:44
While "philosphization" might be the result of an AAVE mispronunciation and thus be eye-dialect, edumecate is a new word. I think your question may need more detail. — Andrew Leach, Mar 29 '23 at 09:54
Perhaps I've wrongly generalized, if you do not recognize the same pattern. (I suppose cacography & sensational spelling might fit the bill.) — Maarten, Mar 29 '23 at 09:55
It's a subdivision of gobbledygook. Stanley Unwin used such language (Wikipedia, often less easy to interpret. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 29 '23 at 10:09
For neologism (new words) used by technocrats, you may refer to Orwellian newspeak. — Graffito, Mar 29 '23 at 10:21
in order to make the word appear more grandiose. Rather to make the speaker* appear grander, more sophisticated, more educated, more ...* — High Performance Mark, Mar 29 '23 at 11:08

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 29 '23 at 10:21

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In the Renaissance period it was fashionable to invent long or complicated words, mostly based on Latin. These days they are called inkhorn words or inkhornisms.

answered Mar 29 '23 at 10:21

equin0x80

613

This discussion {Michael Quinion at WorldWideWords} certainly includes 'fatigate: to fatigue' (but the former, the candidate, never made it into the lexicon). But most other candidates are not based on single existing words with the same meaning / 'meaning'. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 29 '23 at 14:03

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 29 '23 at 09:54

0

According to the following site, it is a way to Homerize words, that is to treat or put it in a Homeric style.

Other examples include Gradumacation, Saxamophone, Trampampoline and Translamacation

"Can you edumacate me in the ways of the saxamophone?" "Let me translamacate it for you while we play on the trampampoline"

(slangdefine.org)

answered Mar 29 '23 at 09:54

user 66974

67,349

2

Wow! Yes, exactly what I meant! Thank you. But it seems to be a neologism particular to this website? – Maarten Mar 29 '23 at 09:57
Is this Homer as in Homer, or Homer as in Homer Simpson? Again, more detail is needed. – Andrew Leach Mar 29 '23 at 09:57
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Reckon: obviously Homer the poet, that is to render the word more epic or poetic (perhaps even to fit the metrum?) – Maarten Mar 29 '23 at 10:04
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I don't think it's obvious at all. The answer should demonstrate "Homeric style", not merely copy from a website which seems to have the reliability of Urban Dictionary. – Andrew Leach Mar 29 '23 at 10:07
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It does indeed to be niche to one-off. Looking up 'homerization', UD does offer a definition, but it's nothing to do with morphology. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 29 '23 at 10:07
Please cite a more reliable source, one that doesn't refer to the word's users as "feral." – alphabet Mar 29 '23 at 16:37
@Maarten I'd have assumed obviously Homer Simpson - saxamophone in particular is very well associated with Homer Simpson, as is tramampoline/trambampoline. – Showsni Mar 30 '23 at 10:48

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 29 '23 at 19:09

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Linguistic flatulence

would be a plain (if educated) English description of this phenomenon, although the term has a wider compass than this particular abomination.

answered Mar 29 '23 at 19:09

David

12,625

Is there a term to the practice of over-inflating big words like 'edumecation' and 'philosphization'?

3 Answers3