In George Orwell's dystopia "Nineteen Eighty-Four", Newspeak was the corrupted/purged language everyone was supposed to speak according to the totalitarian dictatorship which ran everything. Words with subversive potential and those which had unclear meanings were eliminated, along with references to the past. The attempt was to bring language, and therefore thought, into line with the wishes of the rulers.
It is also used to refer to any instance of politically-invented language put out through apparatuses of propaganda and social control or by spindoctors.
Words like people-trafficker, collateral damage and downsizing are examples of real-world Newspeak.
It is also used to refer to any instance of politically-invented language put out through apparatuses of propaganda and social control or by spindoctors.
Words like people-trafficker, collateral damage and downsizing are examples of real-world Newspeak.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't make up new words. Nor does it mean that every political or invented word should be suspect. The point is that new words should expand meaning, not contract it. If a word is used to cover up abuses by the powerful or to manipulate people in favour of the existing regime, it's Newspeak.
by Andy May 2, 2004
Contrived language of Oceania from George Orwell's "1984." It uses many English words, albeit with a greatly simplified vocabulary and sentence structure. The elimination of synonyms and antonyms helped this process. It was created in attempt to influence the thought of Oceania's citizens and make it impossible to express thoughts dangerous to Ingsoc (Newspeak for English Socialism). Today this is recognized as political correctness.
Examples:
Minitruth="Ministry of Truth" (Oceanian propaganda ministry)
Ungood="bad"
Doubleplusgood="excellent"
Doublethink=the ability to hold two contradictory thoughts at a time
B-B="Big Brother", ie the State
These translations give a rough estimate of some general rules when using Newspeak.
Examples:
Minitruth="Ministry of Truth" (Oceanian propaganda ministry)
Ungood="bad"
Doubleplusgood="excellent"
Doublethink=the ability to hold two contradictory thoughts at a time
B-B="Big Brother", ie the State
These translations give a rough estimate of some general rules when using Newspeak.
by Belisarius March 2, 2004
Orwell's faultless 1948 imagination of what the world would become by 1984. A creation of a genius, since it has turned out to be true - look at political correctness!
by ComradeDmitri May 28, 2004
A term that combines two contradicting words, not to convey meaning but to undermine its true meaning, from the novel 1984.
by OnisionisCool April 2, 2018
Language of Ingsoc, a fictional empire in the book 1984. The language was meant to eliminate all words deemed as nonsence, and was created to eliminate certain words, so dissent could not be expressed nor communicated
Fantastic = doubleplusgood
excellent = plus good
good = good
bad = ungood
terrible = plusungood
horrific = doubleplusungood
this would eliminate words of "excess"
and negative words would be replaced with its positive antonym with the prefix of -un. To stress an emotion, the prefixes of -double, -plus were added. The more prefixes, the more expression is placed in the word.
excellent = plus good
good = good
bad = ungood
terrible = plusungood
horrific = doubleplusungood
this would eliminate words of "excess"
and negative words would be replaced with its positive antonym with the prefix of -un. To stress an emotion, the prefixes of -double, -plus were added. The more prefixes, the more expression is placed in the word.
by Matthew Peters January 7, 2004
n. Orwell's attempt to alert us that the English language is easily manipulated. Many new terms are created every year while many more are eliminated or have their meanings altered.
Discrimination:
oldspeak. adj. The ability to choose wisely between alternatives.
newspeak. n. The act of bias against a person or group. Prejudice.
oldspeak. adj. The ability to choose wisely between alternatives.
newspeak. n. The act of bias against a person or group. Prejudice.
by Last April 29, 2005
Newspeak ref doubleplusgood. Oldspeak ref doubleplusungood. Newspeak ref 1984. 1984 ref George Orwell. George Orwell ref doubleplusungood. People ref George taken miniluv reeducate. BB Tripleplusgood. Winston doubleplusungood.
Oldspeak ref crimethink. Crimethink ref doubleplusungood. Minitruth use Newspeak. Newspeak doubleplusgood.
by minitruth January 14, 2010