Boost your English Vocabulary: Four Words to Increase your Fluency
You might have already heard that Shakespeare introduced a lot of new words and idioms to the English language like “to be in a pickle” (to find oneself in a difficult situation). What you might not know is that another very important author of Western literature has helped boost English vocabulary. His name was George Orwell, and he is known for his work dedicated to social criticism of totalitarianism. Some of his most important books include “Animal Farm” (1945) and “1984” (1949).
1984, is, among other things, a book about the power of language as a tool of control. Newspeak, the invented language of the novel, serves to control thought processes by limiting vocabulary and via “a system of brutal simplification that prevents complex thought or the expression of any concept not in line with the totalitarian government’s orthodoxy. As a result, the novel is among the few that have actually introduced whole new words into everyday use, and the book’s vocabulary is a mixture of traditional English words and Newspeak.” (source)
Orwell’s novels are not only very important linguistically but also culturally, and vocabulary from his books is often used to describe totalitarianism, the effects of propaganda, and the methods of surveillance states (which proves Orwell’s point about the importance of language).
Now let’s look at four of the most common words and expressions Orwell introduced to the English language. This will not only help you improve your English vocabulary but also boost your cultural understanding of debates in the United States and Europe.
1. Doublethink
Definition: To hold two contradictory concepts in your mind simultaneously resulting from a process of indoctrination where the subjects are socialized into accepting two conflicting beliefs as truth completely contracting their memory or sense of reality. Imagine, for example, someone living through a war where the aggressor simultaneously convinces the victims that the aggressor is also the savior even though there would be no war if the aggressor hadn’t attacked so there would be no reason for a savior.
Example: to engage in doublethink
2. Thoughtcrime
Definition: Thinking something that violates the government’s dictated beliefs.
3. Big Brother is watching you!
This expression is often used when referring to a surveillance state, and a government’s monitoring of their citizens.
4. Orwellian
Definition: Orwellian means “of, relating to, or evocative of the works of George Orwell, especially the satirical novel 1984, which depicts a futuristic totalitarian state” like the society described in 1984. We call something Orwellian when we want to describe the tactics and characteristics of a totalitarian state.
