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A Word word is a non-technical term for a particular colloquial tendency to "double" (repeat) a certain word, as if the first use is an adjective and the second is the modified noun. The first word of the repeated pair (adjective form) is usually stressed. For example, "do you mean an American Indian, or Indian Indian?" In examples in use and print, it usually attempts to disambiguate either nationalities or neologisms. The term was coined in 1982 by U.S. writer Paul Dickson.[1]
Examples
- American English vs. English English.[2] [3]
- American Indian vs. Indian Indian.[1]
- cable television vs. television television.
- e-book vs. book book.
- Freelance work vs. work work.
- girl friend vs. girlfriend girlfriend
- prescription drugs vs. drugs drugs
- rap music vs. music music.
References
- ^ a b (1992) The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, p. 1127. ISBN 0-19-214183-X.
- ^ http://esl.about.com/od/britishamerican/British_vs_American_English.htm British vs. American English
- ^ http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/us-uk-english.htm "Words that could be confusing and embarrassing in the UK & US", Word #13
