Endangered Species

A lot of thought and effort is rightly put into preserving endangered species. We value uncommon animals in large part for their rarity, like gems and most other things in nature. For good reason, we fear losing them altogether.

Not so with words. Did you know that endangered words can be removed from the dictionary? It's like saying to the cute but odd-looking vaquita, "Sorry, you had your day, but hardly anybody knows you exist anymore"--and then wiping the last one off the face of the globe.

Many people are not even aware the vast majority of dictionaries today operate descriptively of word usage, not prescriptively. In other words, the main thing they care about is what words are being used today, plain and simple; and that's ultimately what determines whether you'll find a word in a dictionary.

That's right, dictionaries are not going to prevent words from going extinct. Only you can prevent words from going extinct--by using them. Fortunately, it's easier than ever, since dictionaries can now monitor usage electronically. You don't need to be publishing books. You might just be a humble blogger.

Here's a poem I wrote in honor of endangered words, and sharing a love for them.

Endangered Species

In olden times a courting gent would go

A hunting for a dazzling bird to capture,

Which, gifted to his lady love, would show

His heart’s enthraldom to her cage of rapture.

The rarer bird, the greater gift it made—

Bright, speckled shafts and plumage colors gay.

So why the rarer word that’s seized and said

In lovesick missive falls so flat today?

In blackest depths of lexiconic tomes,

Some species flit and flaunt their feathered grace

That not in centuries have made their homes

In any work considered commonplace.

Their native habitat destroyed, they hide

In dusty warrens carpet beetles chew.

Each dwindling species light and life denied

Will perish without other words to woo.

So let me lowe[i] in limerence[ii] to thee

With logophilian[iii] philter[iv] overflowing,

And if lingual feathers fan philocaly,[v]

Then flock with me, and I will keep on crowing.

[i] To be ardent or passionate; to burn with love, passion, etc.
[ii] The state of being romantically infatuated or obsessed with another person, typically experienced involuntarily and characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one's feelings but not primarily for a sexual relationship.
[iii] Logophilia n. Love of words.
[iv] A potion, drug, or (occas.) charm supposed to be capable of exciting sexual attraction or love, esp. towards a particular person; a love potion. Also, more generally: any potion or drug having supposedly magical properties.
[iii] Logophilia n. Love of words.
[v] Love of beauty.