What Are We, Anyway?

                          by Rick Morneau
                           May 20, 1991


Language professionals are called "linguists".  Language amateurs are
called...  well...  amateur linguists, I suppose.  But, for some reason
or other, I don't like calling myself an amateur linguist.  Somehow or
other it doesn't ring true.  So, just for fun, I decided to try to come
up with a more appropriate name.  Here are a few that popped into my head:


Lingualoonies (this one fits me to a tee)
Lingarookies
Rookalings
Lingwackoes (this one also fits me to a tee)
Lingooks
Ticktalks
Lungarees (linguists in dungarees?)
Talkticks
Linguafreaks
Lingwookies (for fans of Star Wars)
Talklings
Lingookies
Linguanos
Langos (for those who like tropical fruit?)
Tonguetwits
Langtwits
Lingtwits
Twitlings
Langaroos (Australian amateur linguists?)
Langlings
Linglangs
Lingweenies


Note that we could prefix "con-" to most of the above.  :-)


                          End of Essay