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Lexical Invention

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The creation of new words or novel uses of existing words to expand poetic expression

Detailed Definition
Lexical invention involves coining new words or repurposing existing ones in unexpected contexts to expand poetic diction and capture ineffable experiences; such neologisms may blend roots, alter syntax, or defy convention, as in Hopkins’s “sprung rhythm” terms or contemporary poets creating hybrid words to express digital-age identities or ecological crises.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare’s “bedazzled” (The Taming of the Shrew); Milton’s “pandemonium” (Paradise Lost); Gerard Manley Hopkins’s “inscape” and “instress” to describe divine uniqueness in nature; Sylvia Plath’s “hermitary” in “Ariel” to evoke isolated intensity and transformation
Additional Notes
Lexical invention creates new words or repurposes existing ones to capture ineffable experiences; use sparingly and ensure context clarifies meaning—common in experimental or visionary poetry.
Also Known As
Word-Crafting Neologistic Verse Linguistic Innovation Poetic Coinage Language creation Word-making
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