Wordwatch
April 2008
Nubrella
The humble umbrella has been with us for thousands of years. Its etymology – from the Latin word ‘umbra’, meaning shade or shadow – gives us a clue to its origin. Art from the ancient civilisations of Assyria, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and India shows prototype umbrellas protecting the great and the good from the damaging rays of the sun. In the UK, sunshades were de rigueur for upper-class ladies from the 17th century until Victorian times, but, perhaps inevitably given our climate, it was to be the waterproof variety that would become an enduring and indispensable component of our national costume.
Early umbrellas were made from wood, whalebone or cane and were unwieldy and difficult to fold away, but in 1852 a breakthrough was made when a Victorian entrepreneur, Samuel Fox, created the first lightweight, collapsible umbrella frame using hollow flexible wire. The umbrella as we know it today was born.
The umbrella has continued to evolve, and one of the latest innovations is the nubrella, a blend word from ‘new’ and ‘umbrella’. Created to fit in with busy 21st-century lifestyles, the nubrella is claimed to be the first truly hands-free umbrella, with special shoulder straps allowing you to juggle your mobile phone and latte while still being protected from the elements. However, it is not the only new type of umbrella available: it is now possible to purchase a ‘bike umbrella’ to clamp to your handlebars, a ‘pet umbrella’ to keep your pooch dry, and a ‘weather forecasting umbrella’ which warns of approaching storms. There is even a prototype high-tech ‘internet umbrella’, complete with wireless internet connection, a built-in camera, GPS and a digital compass – although this is not yet for sale.
The Chambers editorial team would be interested to hear from you if you have comments on any of these new words, or your own suggestions for other new words that may be considered for inclusion in Chambers dictionaries. You can email us at dictionaries@chambersharrap.co.uk.
