Definitions
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- noun Plural form of
counterword .
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glennhefley commented on the word counterwords
I thought that a counterword was a word like 'awful'. Back in the Middle English days awful meant "to fill you with awe." People said of fine works of art and architecture that they were 'awful' and the artists were pleased. Now awful means that the object is horrible. It fills your eyes with unpleasant effects and affects. Awful is a thing to feel disgust about, such as food.
To me, that is a counterword. A word that has turned on itself, and slain its past.
January 14, 2022