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September 2008Word History of the Month: mondegreenHere's a word history that should be music to your years. If you've ever wanted a word to name misheard song lyrics, you now have one. Mondegreen names a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung — and the word mondegreen is itself a mondegreen. Read on to find out more. The word comes from a story told on herself by writer Sylvia Wright, in an article published in Harper's Magazine in November 1954. When she was a girl, wrote Wright, her mother sang her the ballad The Bonny Earl of Moray. One verse goes like this: Ye Highlands and ye lowlands Young Sylvia heard the last two lines this way: They hae slain the Earl Amurray And Lady Mondegreen. After learning she mourned in vain for poor Lady Mondegreen, Wright's chagrin changed into amusement and inspired the neologism. Mondegreen has since caught on. See this month's Language Links for plenty of examples. |