million word day

Viv

Apparently, although it is very hard to work out exactly how many words there are in the English language (what counts? slang? foreign words? do words with several meanings count more than once? etc), the powers that be have decided that some time this year we will reach the million mark. 8 June has been designated Million Word Day. But they say most of us only use a few thousand. There are so many words we recognise and understand but rarely use in our everyday lives. Just this morning I heard a song on the radio called 'Sorrow', and I thought to myself - I've probably only ever used that word about twice in my whole life, as I would normally choose to say 'sadness', but I still know exactly what it means! Do you have a commonly understood word you never actually use?

Carol

that takes some thinking about...but a good question.

Red

Gaily. A word consigned to the dustbin for misuse.

Stan2

I probably don't use the word misuse often.

Carol

Distinguished- we all probably know someone we could say that about, but probably don't say it.

Liz

You are vastly underestimating... an average educated person should have a vocabulary of about 20,000 words..ie words that they can and do use. My rhyming dictionary has 35,000 words in and I rarely come across a word I don't know the meaning of... in fact I can't remember that happening at all - words in a rhyming dictionary tend to be the most obvious.

Definitely used sorrow, distinguished quite alot and also gaily... also often.. 'so you're just gaily going down the shop without thinking of...' that sort of a remark often heard round here!

Red

Blimey you'd get your legs broken if you say 'Gaily' where I live.

There are lots of words we know, but just as many words we don't use, or choose not to. Funny old world.

Piper

I think teenagers are starting to have a language of their own...I know I do.

Stan2

We have noticed! ;)