Derek Whitehead “has been Director, Information Resources and University Copyright Officer at Swinburne University of Technology since 2000. He is responsible for the university library, the university web site, and copyright.” He has a blog whose purpose is “to communicate with ALIA members and canvas issues.” Why am I telling you this? Because he’s also a sucker for words, and his blog has a word of the day subsection featuring some word he’s come across and wants to share. The latest is apophenia, which I wrote about a couple of years ago and still enjoy. The previous was dromology, the “science (or logic) of speed”; it was apparently coined by “cultural theorist and urbanist” Paul Virilio thirty years ago. It’s not in the OED, but it gets over 12,000 Google hits, so I have no problem accepting it as a word in good standing, especially since it’s impeccably formed from Greek roots, something that can’t be said of many words created in these unclassical times.
If loves words so much, it would be good if sneak a subscription of Language into the library system. Please.