Towards a definition for the category “ Eggcorn ”

1. Towards a definition for the category“Eggcorn” David TuggyILV-MexicoPat Schweiterman Moderator: The Eggcorn Forum (http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum)

2. Eggcorns • “Eggcorns” introducedonLanguage Log 2003. • In 2010 the OED acceptedtheterm • An Internet-enabledphenomenon: easytocheckforoccurrences of a suspected case and to share themwithotherenthusiasts (eggcornistas) • Language Log • TheEggcornDatabase (inclForum) • Languagecolumnists • etc. • Thousandscollected. E.g.:

3. Eggcorns • eggcorns < acorns • voiceterous < boisterous • dayview< début • star-cravingmad < starkravingmad • deformation of character < defamation … • scissoriansection <Caesariansection (a.k.a. sea section) • littlepetty-Anniecomplaints< penny-ante • in Lehmann’sterms < in layman’sterms • pawnsiescheme < Ponzischeme • That’sgonnacostyou a nominal egg< anarm & a leg

4. Eggcorns • Sharedcharacteristics of theseexamples (surprisinglycomplex): • (a) Ǝ anacorn: a widely accepted (“correct”) standard structurewhich the perpetrator could reasonably be expected to wish to evoke, and which in any case is evoked in the mind of the analyst. • E.g. acorns, stark raving mad, an arm and a leg, etc.

5. Eggcorns • (b) Theperpetrator uses a signal/signifiant (spoken/written) which evokes, for both perpetrator and analyst, a semantic structure strikingly differentfrom that of the acorn. • E.g. the images of an egg and of corn(s) are evoked by eggcorns but not particularly by acorns. • Theanalyst sees this as an obvious restructuring of the acorn • that restructured word or phrase is the eggcorn.

6. Eggcorns • (c) The analystunderstands the eggcorn to be an error on the part of the perpetrator. • (d) As implied by (a) and (b), the signifiantsof the acorn and the eggcornare different enough to make it clear that the perpetrator has the eggcorn rather than the acorn in mind. • (e) Nevertheless,the signifiantsof the acorn and eggcornare very similar. • Theyare likely to be difficult to distinguish on many occasions of use. • e.g. [ˈɛgkoɹn] / [ˈeʲgkoɹn] and [ˈeʲkoɹn]

7. Eggcorns • (f) The restructuring makes sense.An acorn is indeed egg-shaped and corn-like. • This restructuring is likely to make good-enoughsense to communicate in any context where the word acorn would be used. • (Boston Globe stock photo)

8. Eggcorns • [(e) + (f) =] (g)The eggcorn and the acorn are largely interchangeable.The eggcorn is so similar to the acorn, both in its signifiant or signal and in its overall meaning, that • (i) the perpetrator can use it without the audience (of potential analysts) realizing that the acorn is not being used. • (ii) others can use theacornwithouttheperpetratorrealizingitisnottheeggcorn.

9. Eggcorns • Prototypically true and typically judged relevant: • (h) The perpetrator is unaware that the acorn is standardand that most speakers would use it in this context. • (i) The perpetratorbelieves that the eggcorn is standard and is unaware of having committed an error.

10. Eggcorns • In theperpetrator’smind: • Ǝ theSaussurean symbol eggcorn.

11. Eggcorns • In theperpetrator’smind: • Ǝ theSaussurean symbol eggcorn. • Itis “composed of” (= sanctionedby) egg • and corn.

12. Eggcorns • In theperpetrator’smind: • Ǝ theSaussurean symbol eggcorn. • Itis “composed of” (= sanctionedby) egg • and corn. • Thiswholestructureisestablishedas standard.

13. Eggcorns • Theanalystisaware of all of this as well (thoughitisnotstandardforhim/her).

14. Eggcorns • Buttheanalystalso has stronglyentrenchedthe symbol acorn

15. Eggcorns • Alsotheanalystisveryaware of thediscrepanciesbetweenthisstandardstructure (acorn) and theperpetrator’sstandard (eggcorn).

16. Eggcorns • Thedesignata (profiledmeanings) are veryclose; butthephonologicalstructuresdiffer

17. Eggcorns • Overall, then, theeggcornisseenbytheanalyst as a distortion of theacorn.

18. Eggcorns • (Anabbreviatedwaytodiagramthesamething.)

19. Eggcorns • Showing “features” as schemas:

20. Eggcorns • Abstractingtogetlinguisticterms:

21. Eggcorns and othercategories • Eggcorns are usefullycompared and contrastedwith a number of more-traditionallinguisticcategories. • Probablytheclosestoneisthecategory of folk-etymologies.

22. Eggcorns and othercategories • In a “folk etymology” • There once was a standard structure, the analog of the acorn [(a)], • which perpetrators changed into a similar-sounding structure [(d), (e)] • which evokes rather different imagery [(b)] • in order to achieve a similar, functionally substitutable overall meaning [(g)]. • The restructuring must make some kind of sense [(f)] for this to work very well.

23. Eggcorns and othercategories • In a “folk etymology” • For an analyst for whom the original structure is standard, this is an error [(c)] • for the perpetrators it is quite standard [(g), (h), (i)], • But in a folk etymologytheeggcorn has been so successful as toreplacetheacorn; thus (a) is no longerfullyrealized. (e.g.shamefaced, *sham(e)fast)

24. Eggcorns and othercategories • Aneggcornisanincipient, not-yet-fully-successfulfolk etymology.

25. Eggcorns and othercategories • A “mondegreen” is a reanalysiscausedbymishearing (and ignorance). • E.g. “theyhaeslaintheEarlO’Murray and Lady Mondegreen” = and laidhimonthegreen. • The “wild, strange, battlecry of the Light Brigade”: • Haffely, Gaffely!Gaffely, Gonward! • = Half a league, half a league, half a league onward!

26. Eggcorns and othercategories • Mosteggcorns are mondegrenous in theirorigin. • Butmostmondegreens are noteggcornical. • Mostmondegreensoccuronly in oneveryspecificcontext (e.g.only in thepoemaboutthe Light Brigade) • Mostmondegreens do notmakegoodsenseeven in their original context. • Surelygood Mrs. Murphy < Surelygoodness and mercymakes no sense in Ps. 23.

27. Eggcorns and othercategories • A mondegreen that is standard for its user, makes sense, and is adaptable to many contexts, is an eggcorn.

28. Eggcorns and othercategories • A malapropismis “usingthewrongword”. • Typicallytheperpmeanstherightword, justdoesn’trealizehowit’spronounced. • Mrs. Malapropthoughtallegorymeant • Shedidn’t meanallegory at all. • Theeggcornlady did mean egg and corn.

29. Eggcorns and othercategories • Thisisnotrestructuring. • Italsodoesnotmakesense, ifitistakenseriously: Allegories do notfiteven as well as alligatorsalong thebanks of theNile. • Yeteggcornsare, looselydefined, a sub-classof malapropisms.

30. Eggcorns and othercategories • An eggcorn is a malapropism that makes sense (and which the perpetrator uses because of that sense).

31. Eggcorns and othercategories • Aneggcornthattheperpetratorisaware of and uses onpurposeis a kind of pun. • An eggcorn is an inadvertent yet standard-for-the-user pun that makes good sense in many contexts.

32. The OED definition • “An alteration of a word or phrase through the mishearing or reinterpretation of one or more of its elements as a similar-sounding word.” • This fails to distinguish eggcorns from other categories. All mondegreens, and possibly all malapropisms, many puns and other examples of wordplay, would be subclasses of eggcorns. • It’s the other way around!

33. The OED definition • Perhaps instead: • “A restructuring, erroneously considered standard by its user, of a word or phrase [through the mishearing or misinterpretation of one or more of its elements as a similar-sounding word or element], such that the restructured word or phrase makes good sense in most contexts of usage.”

34. (some more examples • theaftermass of thestorm < aftermath • anotherwords< in otherwords • in anyweightshapeorform< wayshapeorform • cute as I’llgetout < as allget-out • learningbywrote < learningby rote • wileawaythe time < whileawaythe time • you’vegotanotherthingcoming< anotherthink • Whollycrap! haveyouseen … < Holycrap! • do yourupmost< do yourutmost

35. Powerpointto be available atwww.sil.org/~tuggyd