1984 Vocabulary

George Orwells 1984   tells of a dystopian future where the totalitarian government (called the Party) seeks to control not only language, but thought as well. Orwell created a whole new set of language rules with his Newspeak in 1984, showing how by reducing the ability to express oneself creatively, the Party could control how people spoke, and ultimately, know their thoughts. Instead of very good instead one using Newspeak would say plusgood and doubleplusgood. Orwell was particularly interested in nuances in language, and bemoaned what he viewed as   the loss of critical thinking and metaphor. 1984 - Terms and Vocabulary Heres a list of some unusual vocabulary words from 1984, by George Orwell. Use these terms for reference, study, and discussion. inscrutable: of an obscure nature discountenanced:  embarrassed gamboling:  playing boisterously or loudly multifarious:  having many aspects venerate:  regard with feelings of respect and reverence aquiline:  curved down, as an eagles beak stratum:  layers of material or divisions, or social classes in society palimpsest:  a manuscript on which more than one text has been written fulminate:  cause to explode violently and with loud noise anodyne:  capable of relieving pain sinecure:  an office that involves minimal duties niggling:  petty, trivial proletarian:  belonging to or characteristic of the working class wainscoting:  decorative paneling or woodwork fecundity: fertility, or cleverness (as in a fertile imagination) spurious:  not genuine, inauthentic oligarchy:  a form of government in which all power is in a few people or a dominant class truncheon: a club carried by a law enforcement officer forlorn: unhappy or miserable, hopeless More 1984 Resources Questions for Study and Discussion On 1984:Orwell Review