History Main / Newspeak

The goal of Newspeak was essentially the destruction of words, especially synonyms and antonyms, and to render language instinctively euphemistic, so as to suppress any possibility of rebellion against the party. Based on the (now discredited) strong form of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis]] (the weak form is also controversial), it was intended to be a psychological and linguistic RestrainingBolt on the population of Oceania. Its constructions are similar to Esperanto (Ungood/Malbona) and other agglutinative languages (such as German). Contraction conventions from historical totalitarian regimes were also incorporated, resulting in words like "Ingsoc" which are similar in construction to "Comintern" and "Gestapo". Acronyms are used extensively. The Party predicted (or propagandized) that {{NewSpeak}} would completely supplant English by 2050. Every edition of the Newspeak Dictionary was ''smaller'' than its predecessor.

** Ironically, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/Singular_they the singular they]] has a long and proud history, according to those ancient texts.

'''Funeral Director:''' "Actually, sir, we prefer the term 'casket' to 'coffin' and 'monument' to 'tombstone.' We have all the leading brands of anti-stink spray."

Neologisms that are based on Newspeak syntax but not coined by Orwell have also appeared, the most notable being ''[[TooManyCooks groupthink]]'' (a shorthand of the results of committee thinking). [[LifeImitatesArt Disturbingly often]] such words are coined in political/media and [[MemeticMutation Internet]] circles.

As noted above, many features of Newspeak are in fact similar to the features of real life agglutinative languages, including German and Russian, but also many Native American languages, for example. This gave Newspeak a certain "[[BlackSpeech totalitarian flavor]]" at a time when both Germany and Russia had totalitarian governments. However, this point may look anachronistic today, and the theory that there is a connection between language and social behavior has been discredited (after all, the same country can go through many different government types, some totalitarian and some not, without changing its language). Also, this makes Newspeak especially difficult to portray in a translation of NineteenEightyFour ''into a language that is already agglutinative.'' If the word for "evil" in your native language is already something like "ungood", translators will have a hard time coming up with a Newspeak version of it.

* TwoPlusTortureMakesFive

As noted above, many features of Newspeak are in fact similar to the features of real life agglutinative languages, including German and Russian, but also many Native American languages, for example. This gave Newspeak a certain "totalitarian flavor" at a time when both Germany and Russia had totalitarian governments. However, this point may look anachronistic today, and the theory that there is a connection between language and social behavior has been discredited (after all, the same country can go through many different government types, some totalitarian and some not, without changing its language). Also, this makes Newspeak especially difficult to portray in a translation of NineteenEightyFour ''into a language that is already agglutinative.'' If the word for "evil" in your native language is already something like "ungood", translators will have a hard time coming up with a Newspeak version of it.

** BigBrotherIsWatching

* BigBrotherIsWatching

* SuperFunHappyThingOfDoom: All the Ministries are an example. Usually named using Newspeak.

The goal of Newspeak was essentially the destruction of words, especially synonyms and antonyms, and to render language instinctively euphemistic, so as to suppress any possibility of rebellion against the party. Based on the (now discredited) strong form of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis]] (the weak form is also controversial), it was intended to be a psychological and linguistic RestrainingBolt on the population of Oceania. Its constructions are similar to Esperanto (Ungood/Malbona) and other agglutinative languages (such as German). Contraction conventions from historical totalitarian regimes were also incorporated, resulting in words like "Ingsoc" which are similar in construction to "Comintern" and "Gestapo". Acronyms are used extensively. The Party predicted (or propagandized) that NewSpeak would completely supplant English by 2050. Every edition of the Newspeak Dictionary was ''smaller'' than its predecessor.

Of course, unlike Lewis Carroll, Orwell was not '''''actually''''' trying to popularize [[MisaimedFandom this approach to the English Language]].

Some Orwellian phrases have been replaced by modern equivalents; ''bellyfeel'' never caught on, despite [[PerfectlyCromulentWord the usefulness]] of a word to describe "that which is calculated to give a positive gut reaction", possibly because it sounds childish and begs to be used literally. The appearance of ''[[StephenColbert truthiness]]'', which contains the same meaning (that Orwell intended, not Ingsoc) and ''mouthfeel'' which ''does'' literally mean "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin how a piece of food feels in the diner's mouth]]" in the past decade have probably ended ''bellyfeel'''s chances.

Some Orwellian words and phrases have been replaced by modern equivalents; ''bellyfeel'' never caught on, despite [[PerfectlyCromulentWord the usefulness]] of a word to describe "that which is calculated to give a positive gut reaction", possibly because it sounds childish and begs to be used literally. The appearance of ''[[StephenColbert truthiness]]'', which contains the same meaning (that Orwell intended, not Ingsoc) and ''mouthfeel'' which ''does'' literally mean "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin how a piece of food feels in the diner's mouth]]" in the past decade have probably ended ''bellyfeel'''s chances.

* WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture: including right here on this website.

Of course, unlike Lewis Carroll, Orwell was not '''''actually''''' trying to [[MisaimedFandom popularize this approach to the English Language]].

* WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture

Neologisms that are based on {{Newspeak}} syntax but not coined by Orwell have also appeared, the most notable being ''[[TooManyCooks groupthink]]'' (a shorthand of the results of committee thinking). [[LifeImitatesArt Disturbingly often]] such words are coined in political/media and [[MemeticMutation Internet]] circles.

[[NewSpeak NewSpeak]] is a [[{{Fictionary}} fictive language]] invented by GeorgeOrwell for the novel ''NineteenEightyFour.'' NewSpeak was the official language of Oceania, and the members of the Outer Party were encouraged to think and converse in Newspeak.

Orwell provided an appendix discussing the features of the language in the novel. The appendix, ostensibly from an unspecified time after the events of the novel, written in Standard English and speaking of NewSpeak, the Party, and Oceania in the past tense, implies that NewSpeak is no longer in general use.

->[+'''[[NewSpeak NewSpeak]] introduced distinctive new terms in the English lexicon, including:'''+]

->[+'''[[NewSpeak NewSpeak]] ''[[TropeCodifier thoughtmade]]'' the following tropes:'''+]

->[+'''[[NewSpeak NewSpeak]] ''[[NeedsMoreExamples putropes]]'' (contains examples of):'''+]

!!''{{Newspeak}} [[{{Works}} Exampleswork]]'' [-(variations of Newspeak appear in the following works)-]:

!!''{{Newspeak}} [[{{Works}} Exampleswork]]'' [-(variations of {{newspeak}} appear in the following works)-]:

->[+'''NewSpeak introduced distinctive new terms in the English lexicon, including:'''+]

!!![[NewSpeak NewSpeak]] ''[[TropeCodifier thoughtmade]]'' the following tropes:

!!![[NewSpeak NewSpeak]] ''[[NeedsMoreExamples putropes]]'' (contains examples of):

!!''{{Newspeak}} [[{{Works}} Exampleswork]]'' [-(variations of {{newspeak}} appear used in the following works)-]:

NewSpeak is a [[{{Fictionary}} fictive language]] invented by GeorgeOrwell for the novel ''NineteenEightyFour.'' NewSpeak was the official language of Oceania, and the members of the Outer Party were encouraged to think and converse in Newspeak.

NewSpeak introduced distinctive new terms in the English lexicon, including:
* Big Brother

* Doublethink
Other words were not as successful; ''Bellyfeel'' never caught on, despite the usefulness of a word to describe "that which is calculated to give a positive gut reaction", possibly because it sounds childish and begs to be used literally. The appearance of ''[[StephenColbert truthiness]]'', which contains the same meaning (that Orwell intended, not Ingsoc) and ''mouthfeel'' which ''does'' literally mean "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin how a piece of food feels in the diner's mouth]]" in the past decade have probably ended its' chances forever. Neologisms that are based on NewSpeak syntax but not coined by Orwell have also appeared, the most notable being GroupThink (a shorthand of the results of committee thinking).

NewSpeak contains examples of:
* {{Portmanteau}}

* WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture (source of the trope?)

* The word "newspeak", or rather "nowomowa" entered the Polish language as a description of any political duckspeak by a prominent person. The novel was, of course, banned in Poland. It is seldom used today, unless referring to Communist speeches and the like.

!!Variations of NewSpeak has been used in the following:

* AnthonyBurgess plays with this as "Worker's English" (or WE) in his novel, ''1985'', written as a response to Orwell.

* ''NineteenEightyFour'' ([[CaptainObvious Du'h]])

* The society in ''TheGiver'' enforced what it called "precision of language." Children are strongly reprimanded for using any kind of exaggeration or figurative language. (The example given is a child who says he is starving when he is only very hungry, because implying that the state would really let anyone starve is seen as extremely problematic.)