Ask The Dictionary Evangelist

A Mr. John Shakespeare [I know! Isn’t that perfect?] had a question for me, and kindly gave his permission for me to share my answer with all of you. I just read your interesting and amusing piece, Neologizing 101, in the NY Times. [I did not ask him to say this. —Ed.] Neologizing is the invention of a word; invention seems (to me, at least) to imply copyright. So my questions are: How does one prove invention of a new word? And, how does one copyright that invention, and make royalties (ie; /
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