Abhoard: Defining a New Word to Explain a Feeling
I was cleaning up some computer files and I found one about speaking in tongues or glossolalia. Speaking in tongues is where you speak a foreign language without knowing the actual language. It would be like speaking in Hebrew without knowing any Hebrew. Usually there is someone around who can translate the words and know and understand what you are speaking about. Otherwise, what is the point?
Sometimes the words that I speak are not always tied to a language that is spoken or written in modern times, or even in ancient times. There is no recorded history of anything... not even a blending of words from multiple languages comes close to the meaning. It becomes more of a feeling or an expression.
A while back on my birthday, my telepathic annoyance of whatever he is to me, friend, wished me a happy birthday telepathically after I specifically asked him not to. He drew out the birthday greeting to something like: Hhaa...app..pyy...Birrrttthhhdaaayyyy. I think you get the point. I was annoyed and in return, I said a full sentence in tongues back to him. It made no sense, but he was instantly sorry for his actions and all I could remember was a feeling and a single word: abhoard.
It's not a real word. It doesn't exist in any language. I have searched many different times with different variations. I get nothing. I know what it means. I instantly knew what it was. It drives me mad that I can express a deep feeling of annoyance at a broken boundary so clearly, but the word to explain to others doesn't exist. In English, the word "harass" is the closest word to abhoard, but it still doesn't capture the nuance of the emotional or spiritual imposition that was forced upon me.
In linguistics when a word is newly formed it is called neologism, when it is accepted into mainstream use. While this word is not accepted as mainstream, I feel it fits as a new word that needs to be defined.
Definition:
Abhoard (verb, spiritual/poetic neologism)
/ab-ˈhɔrd/
To persistently and deliberately impose on someone emotionally or spiritually, especially after clear boundaries have been set, often in a slow, calculated, or invasive manner.
“He abhoarded me with that drawn-out birthday greeting, even after I asked him not to.”
Notes on usage:
- The “ab-” prefix evokes abhor, adding a sense of disgust, resistance, or spiritual repulsion.
- The “-hoard” element implies emotional piling-on, clinging, or refusal to let go, especially of attention or energy.
- It captures an experience that’s annoying, violating, and spiritually heavy, all at once.
- Not to be confused with "abhorred" adjective (abhor, verb) the internal reaction or feeling of hate, detest, or regard with deep disgust.
While I don't expect this word to take off and be used widespread, I feel that there are other people who should know what the word means. Even if it is considered to be made up. I do feel like it is a word that is needed as there are few words that actually describe the emotional or spiritual feeling of what others do to you.
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