What is National Word Day

What is National Word Day There seems to be a day for just about everything. I wouldnt be in the least bit surprised if I came across National Lets Eat Takeout Day, and Id probably support it if it existed. Earth Day is real enough, but why only one day? Shouldnt we make every day Earth Day? Maybe we wouldnt want to turn off the lights for an hour every night, but perhaps we could turn off the TV, or do something else thats good for the environment. Now we have National Word Day. Have you never heard about it? Heres what you need to know! Why National Word Day? Have you ever noticed we dont use a lot of the words in our vocabulary? By the time you reach the age of four, you already know 10,000 words. Once you reach adulthood, youll probably know 20,000 to 35,000 different words, and youll keep learning new ones until you reach middle age (and possibly even later if you have a curious mind and like to read). How many of the words you know do you use in everyday speech? I couldnt find an answer to this question, but Im ready to guess we probably use the same 10,000 we knew when we were little, if we even use that many. There are currently 171,476 words in the English language, with more being added every day. I know because I counted them especially for you. Alright, I didnt. I looked that up. According to the same source, a further 47,156 words have become obsolete or archaic. What happened to them? People stopped using them so they became extinct. When we stop using words, they just die out of the language, and you have to admit that the mass-extinction of words is rather a sad thing. Thats why we have National Word Day. Its a words-conservation drive! What Should You Do on National Word Day? We are encouraged to give seldom-used words an airing in the hope that others will pick them up and use them too. National Word Day is a celebration of language. We are encouraged to take the words we use in conversation to the next level, making our speech much more colorful, individual and interesting. If we are able, we are asked to actually immortalize a word. Is it possible? Yes, it is! Well see how a little further on. Last, but not least, were asked to read the dictionary until we find a word we didnt know. We must then memorize that word and immediately put it to use in our speech and in our writing. When Is National Word Day? In celebration of a poet and playwright who has kept many words that would otherwise have become obsolete alive, National Word Day is celebrated on the Ides of March. Thats the 15th of March, the day when Caesar is believed to have been assassinated. This day was immortalized by Shakespeare, keeping the word Ides alive, even though its usually only used when we read Shakespeares play. On the Ides of March, you get your chance to make a seldom-used word or words immortal. Start thinking which ones you will choose! I think I will go for rabelaisian, a word I so seldom use that I had forgotten how to spell it and had to look it up. I like it because it rolls off the tongue nicely, and because it refers to bold, coarse, robust humor which I generally keep out of this blog, but I still enjoy. I would be quite sad if that word died out. Who Started National Word Day? I just did! And if I may say so, Ive got it off to a good start with this blog post. Who gave me the right to do this? Well, its a free country isnt it? You dont think I have enough credibility to start a special day all on my own? I probably dont, but youre going to help me, arent you? Whats in it for you? Absolutely nothing! I wont even promise you my eternal gratitude for your contribution. Look at it this way: if one person celebrates National Word Day, people will think theyre crazy. If two people celebrate it, people will think its a conspiracy, but if you can get three people celebrating the day, people might just think its a movement, and join in. Well, thats my theory anyway. Whos up for joining me in the celebration? Youd better start preparing now. Its like Christmas shopping. If you wait too long, all the best words will be taken. Which one will you choose? Make your pledge now, and dont forget to invite your friends!