I have decided recently that etymology robs us of some of the fun that we should be deriving from the English language. I understand that word origins are fundamentally important bits of knowledge, but I think that assigning meaning to words arbitrarily based on what they sound like they should mean would make people more interested in learning to speak properly. For instance, if I had my way, an oligarchy would be a type of pickle. That is just what I think of when I hear that word.
I have decided to name this new field of language study psychophonetics. I think the name speaks for itself. Submissions to the psychophonetic dictionary would be handled in the same way as other dictionaries and once the word was deemed to be in common use it would become a formal part of the language.
Some examples of what I have so far:
oligarchy=pickle
pumpkin=incest
analgesic=pain causer
scapegoat=lawnmower
potent=shanty
I am currently taking submissions. No made up words will be allowed. Just words that you think sound like they have the wrong meaning. Together we can make English the new Esperanto.
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