Neologisms and genericized words in everyday language

AORN Journal,  April, 2007  by Nancy J. Girard

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Recently, I have been involved in discussions of words: words that are new, old words with new meanings, and words that we have used for so long that their original meanings have become obscured. Effective communication depends in part on adapting to new use of language as it evolves, so this month's column is about words.

NEW WORDS AND MEANINGS

Words that are new are called neologisms. (1) Science and technology have produced a plethora of new words. From science, we have incorporated such concepts as black holes and quarks into our language. From technology, words such as e-mail, phishing, blog, and webinar have worked their way into our everyday communication.

Neologisms also can be old words used in new ways. Again, computer science is often the culprit, adding to the meanings of such words as mouse, worm, and virus. It is easy to understand how communication errors might occur when one's lexicon can be out of date within a few short months!

GENERICIZED WORDS

Sometimes a word is used so often that it becomes the common way to describe every item similar to it. (2) In advertising, this is referred to as "dominant mind share." (3) Examples include the word "Kleenex," which people use to describe any facial tissue or the word "Xerox" used for any type of photocopier. These words, however, retain their trademarked status.

The genericizing of trademarks is not limited to the United States. In many parts of the world, the word "Coke" refers to any type of soft drink. "Tupperware" is used generically for any food container in Asia, and any vacuum cleaner in the United Kingdom is called a "Hoover." (2)

A genericized word does not have to be a product. For example, the word "nurse" sometimes falls prey to dominant mind share. Many people, especially those in the media, often use it as a title for anyone caring for a patient, regardless of that person's education and qualifications. Another genericized professional title is editor, which often is used to identify anyone who works with words.

In the hospital, the word "linen" is one of the very old, genericized words. We continue to use the word, when in fact, none of the material we use today in providing care is actually linen. Nate Belkin, PhD, summarized this well in a recent short essay (written communication, 2007), so with permission, I am including some of his observations and interesting historical review.

   Materials used in health care facilities
   today range from traditional
   cotton to a variety of polyester/
   cotton blends to microfiber fabrics.
   None are linen. Linen is made from
   the fiber and yarns of flax plants or
   Linum usitatissimum. (4)

   As a textile material, linen has
   been used for thousands of years.
   Linen fabrics thought to be as old as
   8,000 years have been excavated
   from the dried-out lake mud of prehistoric
   villages in Switzerland. (4)

   Linen fabrics dating back
   as far as 3500 BC have
   been uncovered in
   Egyptian archeological
   sites. (5) The hot, dry climate
   of Egypt has preserved
   samples of both coarse and
   fine linen materials used
   during that period. When
   Tutankhamen's tomb was
   opened in 1922, the linen
   curtains placed in the tomb
   about 1250 BC were still
   intact. (6) Beginning around
   1200 AD, linen became the
   choice fabric for sheets and
   pillow cases among the
   wealthy because the fabrics
   were lighter, more absorbent,
   and more comfortable
   than those made of cotton
   or wool. (7)

      Although most materials
   used in hospitals and
   health care today are not
   linen, the dominant mind
   share is so strong that
   major corporations, such
   as the National Association
   of Institutional
   Linen Managers and the
   American Laundry and
   Linen College retain the
   word. One who completes
   specialized educational
   programs is recognized as
   a Registered Laundry and
   Linen Director.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

This is a lighthearted subject, but it has a serious core. One of the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals is to "improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers." (8) Joint Commission statistics indicate that ineffective communication can be implicated as a root cause in nearly 70% of reported sentinel events. (9) So readers, when someone listens to you but doesn't seem to understand you, brush up on your neologisms, watch your genericized words, and above all else, make sure that no misunderstandings occur that will affect good patient care.

Editor's notes: Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Corp, Dallas, Tex. Xerox is a registered trademark of Xerox Corp, Stamford, Conn. Coke is a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Co, Atlanta, Ga. Tupperware is a registered trademark of Tupperware Worldwide, Orlando, Fla. Hoover is a registered trademark of the Hoover Co, Cleveland, Tenn.

REFERENCES