I came across a copy of the Gobblefunk Dictionary yesterday. It’s a dictionary devoted to words that Roald Dahl invented and used in his novels, especially in The BFG. There’s a real pleasure in inventing words, and if you are reading a story by Roald Dahl you will have a head start.
How about your own small vocabulary list of invented words? There may already be invented words that you use within your family or with friends or you may like to make a list for a particular character, as dahl did for that Big Friendly Giant.
Here are a few examples:
babblement noun a nice old natter; a conversation just for the fun of it.
buzzwangle noun a nonsensical harmy thing
phiz-whizzing adjective fantastic, truly amazing
pink-spotted scrunch noun a poisonous man-eating creature
kicksy adjective powerful or strong like Farmer Bean’s apple cider
swishwiffle verb to fizz and bubble
twiglet noun another word used by giants for humans
Sometimes the words are very close to an existing word with the same meaning: chidler or kiddle, child; vegitibble, vegetable; swimmel, to swim. Sometimes Dahl has played around with existing words and changed the meaning so that you think of the original meaning at the same time so a vindscreen viper is a poisonous snake in giant country.
Start with the words and add their meanings if you would like.
You may find that you have a character or a story popping up from amongst your new words.
Writing Box 