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'''Newspeak''' is the fictional language in the novel ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'', written by [[George Orwell]]. It is a reduced language created by the [[totalitarian]] state as a tool to limit free thought, and concepts that pose a threat to the regime such as [[freedom]], self-expression, [[individuality]], [[peace]], etc. Any form of thought alternative to the party’s construct is classified as "[[thoughtcrime]]."
"Newspeak" is a term originating from George Orwell's book titled "1984", in which Newspeak is a language spoken in the country of Oceania, used as a form of thought control. In short, the language gets rid of very words that allow rebellious thinking and often replaces them with good-sounding words, meaning that the populace is simply unable to think of dissent, making it impossible, or views bad things as good and desirable.


Newspeak is explained in chapters 4 and 5 of ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', and in an appendix to the book. The language follows, for the most part, the same [[grammatical]] rules as [[English]], but has a much more limiting, and constantly shifting [[vocabulary]]. Any [[synonyms]] or [[antonyms]], along with undesirable concepts are eradicated. The goal is for everyone to be speaking this language by the year 2050 (the story is set in the year 1984—hence the title).
==Original Book Vocabulary==
Some of the vocabulary from the original book include:
<li><b>bellyfeel</b> — gut-level and blind acceptance of the official doctrine</li>
<li><b>crimethink</b> — criminalized thoughts and ideas that go against the ruling idelogy</li>
<li><b>joycamp</b> — euphemism for a forced labor camp</li>
<li><b>unperson</b> — a person who has been killed or silenced, effectively erasing him from the public consciousness</li>


Orwellian [[Doublespeak]], which is the foundation of Newspeak, essentially is summed up as the quote from ''1984'': ''"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."''
==Modern Newspeak==
Some of the most common <i>Newspeak</i> terms used today in the real world:
<li><b>peaceful protest</b> — public activism that supports the status quo, regardless of how violent it is</li>
<li><b>dangerous assembly</b> — public activism that opposes the status quo, regardless of how violent it is</li>
<li><b>independent journalism</b> — journalists–often indie–sponsored by [[jews]] </li>
<li><b>hate speech</b> — criticism of the status quo</li>
<li><b>social justice</b> — the process of uplifting minorities while actively crushing the majority</li>
<li><b>tolerance</b> — a specific ideology, rather than a descriptor</li>
<li><b>democracy</b> — the "good" political system, most often a hidden oligarchy</li>
<li><b>fascism</b> — anything even remotely authoritarian, often used as a slur</li>
<li><b>racism</b> — any concept that doesn't actively promote minorities, often used as a slur</li>
<li><b>bigot</b> — a person who doesn't accept the popular ideology</li>
<li><b>transgender</b> — a fetish turned into a mental condition known as "gender dysphoria" to be treated by life-destroying permanent surgery</li>


==Basic principles==
[[Category:Definitions]]
 
===To remove synonyms and antonyms===
The aim of Newspeak is to remove all shades of meaning from language, leaving simple concepts (pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness, goodthink and crimethink) that reinforce the [[Totalitarianism|total dominance of the State]]. Newspeak root words serve as both nouns and verbs, further reducing the total number of words; for example, "think" is both noun and verb, so the word ''thought'' is not required and can be abolished. The party also intends that Newspeak be spoken in [[staccato]] rhythms with syllables that are easy to pronounce. This will make speech more automatic and unconscious and reduce the likelihood of thought.
 
In addition, words with negative meanings are removed as redundant, so "bad" becomes "ungood". Words with comparative and superlative meanings are also simplified, so "better" becomes "gooder", and "best" becomes "goodest". Intensifiers can be added, so "great" became "plusgood", and "excellent" and "splendid" become "doubleplusgood". Adjectives are formed by adding the suffix "-ful" to a root word (e.g., "goodthinkful", orthodox in thought), and adverbs by adding "-wise" ("goodthinkwise", in an orthodox manner). This would, of course, not prevent heretic statements such as "Big Brother is ungood," but not only would this statement sound absurd in the ears of the politically orthodox — it would also be impossible to understand exactly what the statement means since all concepts and words that can be used to argue against Big Brother would be eradicated from the language.
 
Some of the constructions in Newspeak, such as "ungood," are characteristic of [[agglutinative language]]s, although foreign to English. It is possible that Orwell modeled aspects of Newspeak on [[Esperanto]]; for example, "ungood" is constructed similarly to the Esperanto word ''malbona''. Orwell had been exposed to Esperanto in 1927 when living in Paris with his aunt Ellen Kate Limouzin and her husband [[Eugène Lanti]], a prominent Esperantist. Esperanto was the language of the house, and Orwell was disadvantaged by not speaking it, which may account for some antipathy towards the language.
 
===To control thought===
 
According to George Orwell, "The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to the devotees of IngSoc, but to make all other modes of thought impossible. Its vocabulary was so constructed as to give exact and often very subtle expression to every meaning that a Party member could properly wish to express, while excluding all other meaning and also the possibility of arriving at them by indirect methods. This was done partly by the invention of new words, but chiefly by eliminating undesirable words and stripping such words as remained of unorthodox meanings, and so far as possible of all secondary meaning whatever."<ref name="newspeakdictionary">{{cite web|url=http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/ns-prin.html |title= The Principles of Newspeak |publisher= newspeakdictionary.com |date= |accessdate=March 20, 2013}}</ref> The idea that language influences worldview is [[linguistic relativity]].
 
For example, the word "free" still existed in Newspeak but could only be used in terms of something not being possessed as in, "the dog is free from lice" or, "this field is free from weeds." It could not be used in terms of being able to do as one pleases, as in "free choice" or" free will" since these concepts no longer existed. Newspeak was designed not to extend but to diminish the range of thought, and this purpose was indirectly assisted by cutting the choice of words down to a minimum. Any redundancies in the English language were removed.<ref name="newspeakdictionary" />
 
As Orwell further states, "By 2050—earlier, probably—all real knowledge of Oldspeak will have disappeared. The whole literature of the past will have been destroyed. [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]], [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], [[John Milton|Milton]], [[George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron|Byron]]—they'll exist only in Newspeak versions, not merely changed into something different, but actually contradictory of what they used to be.  Even the literature of the Party will change.  Even the slogans will change.  How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?  The whole climate of thought will be different.  In fact there will ''be'' no thought, as we understand it now.  Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think.  Orthodoxy is unconsciousness."<ref name="Orwell1949">{{Cite book| last=Orwell|first=George|authorlink =|title=Nineteen Eighty-Four|publisher=Secker and Warburg |year=1949 |isbn=978-0-452-28423-4 }}</ref>
 
Some examples of Newspeak from the novel include ''[[Thoughtcrime|crimethink]]'', ''[[doublethink]]'', and ''[[Ingsoc]]''. They mean, respectively, "thought-crime," "accepting as correct two mutually contradictory beliefs" and "English socialism" (the official political philosophy of the Party). The word ''Newspeak'' itself also comes from the language.
 
Generically, ''Newspeak'' has come to mean any attempt to restrict disapproved language by a government or other powerful entity.<ref>OED: "any corrupt form of English; esp. ambiguous or euphemistic language as used in official pronouncements or political propaganda."</ref>
 
==See also==
* [[Wokeism]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:Euphemisms]]
[[Category:Censorship]]
[[Category:Political correctness]]
[[Category:Free speech]]

Latest revision as of 23:14, 16 June 2025

"Newspeak" is a term originating from George Orwell's book titled "1984", in which Newspeak is a language spoken in the country of Oceania, used as a form of thought control. In short, the language gets rid of very words that allow rebellious thinking and often replaces them with good-sounding words, meaning that the populace is simply unable to think of dissent, making it impossible, or views bad things as good and desirable.

Original Book Vocabulary

Some of the vocabulary from the original book include:

  • bellyfeel — gut-level and blind acceptance of the official doctrine
  • crimethink — criminalized thoughts and ideas that go against the ruling idelogy
  • joycamp — euphemism for a forced labor camp
  • unperson — a person who has been killed or silenced, effectively erasing him from the public consciousness

    • Modern Newspeak

    Some of the most common Newspeak terms used today in the real world:

  • peaceful protest — public activism that supports the status quo, regardless of how violent it is
  • dangerous assembly — public activism that opposes the status quo, regardless of how violent it is
  • independent journalism — journalists–often indie–sponsored by jews
  • hate speech — criticism of the status quo
  • social justice — the process of uplifting minorities while actively crushing the majority
  • tolerance — a specific ideology, rather than a descriptor
  • democracy — the "good" political system, most often a hidden oligarchy
  • fascism — anything even remotely authoritarian, often used as a slur
  • racism — any concept that doesn't actively promote minorities, often used as a slur
  • bigot — a person who doesn't accept the popular ideology
  • transgender — a fetish turned into a mental condition known as "gender dysphoria" to be treated by life-destroying permanent surgery
    • Retrieved from "http:///index.php?title=Newspeak&oldid=60059"