Wednesday, August 4, 2010

I invent a new word

Neologising is good. I was hastily emailing someone whom I thought would have access to Waikato University’s library, specifically the journal Philosophy of the Social Sciences, volume 25, issue 1, March 1995. I wrote:
The article in it that I want, as recommended to me by All-Embracing But Underwhelming, is online but I have to pay $US25 to read it and fuck that, frankly.

I am not at all sure that Waikuni even has a philosophy department but you never know.
Waikuni. I cannot believe that no one thought of that before.

6 comments:

MacDoctor said...

I have access to Dorkuni. Email me at Jim at MacDoctor dot co dot nz with the article reference and I'll see what I can do.

Stephen Stratford said...

Thanks. Will do.

homepaddock said...

That's a wonderful word from which spring others - I'm a graduate of both Otuni and Cantuni - the latter isn't far from Lincuni.

Then there's Welluni and Massuni.

Keri H said...

"waikuni"

For that to be a neologism in ANZ english I suggest the 'uni' would have to mean something in Maori.

And it just phuqueing doesnt.

Matthew R. X. Dentith said...

Waikato not only has a Philosophy Department (well, a combined Department with Theology and one other mostly-related discipline) but the HoD is one of my supervisors.

Stephen Stratford said...

My thanks to MacDoctor and to Michelle, both of whom have emailed me the paper in question. Talk about the kindness of strangers.

Keri, you're right, of course, that "uni" is meainingless in Maori. As, indeed, is "Waik". My te reo is not as good as it was in my student years but we all know what "wai" means, and "kuni" is close to "akuni", i.e. today, or possibly half a small pig. So Waikuni could mean "water today" or be an abbreviation for Waikunikuni, "the place where small pigs gather to swim".

Possibly.

And thanks HORansome, I am pleased to learn that Waikuni teaches philosophy. This restores my faith in the institution a bit.