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内容記述 |
As an enthusiastic reader of the columns by Mr. William Safire, who says "...I, an avid -gate-combining-form fan, ...", I have long been collecting -gate words coined to reflect unfavorable behaviors of various important people in the political, industrial, cultural, and media worlds. This paper will explore new English words formed by combining a root with a word-forming element -gate. The combining form -gate was created by clipping the prepositive element of the compound noun "Watergate, " the wellknown scandal involving the then US President Richard Nixon. It signifies a cover-up of political, industrial, or recently sexual scandals of public figures or the high-ranking officials. First applied to the domestic corruption scandals in the United States, it was soon applied to similar incidents in Great Britain, Russia and other countries ; -gate has been contributing to the coinage of new words that refer to any sort of trouble, wrongdoing, misappropriation, and/or profligacy. In addition, the combining form has been covering more corruptions and scandals affiliated to and discovered in more foreign countries. It is connected to different local names, personal or group names or occupations, commodities or items, and actions or activities. However, -gate words are so proliferate that a lot of nonce words have been produced just for fun or as pun. Only time and dictionary editors will perhaps decide the life of these words. The recent development and spread of -gate words reminds us of the dynamic and creative nature of language : how terms are used to depict various current events and the people concerned in them. In short, I plan to study the categorical, geographical and semantic developments of 91 -gate words, some of which are short-lived and others which are long-lasting. |
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