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What are words brought into english by allusion?

It's important to clarify that words are not brought into English through allusion. Allusion is a literary device where an author makes a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art. It's a way of adding depth and richness to a text, but it doesn't introduce new vocabulary.

Words enter English through various processes, including:

* Borrowing: Taking words from other languages (e.g., "sushi" from Japanese, "chutzpah" from Yiddish)

* Coining: Creating entirely new words (e.g., "blog," "selfie")

* Compounding: Combining two or more words to create a new one (e.g., "smartphone," "sunrise")

* Derivation: Adding prefixes and suffixes to existing words (e.g., "un-", "-ing")

* Acronyms: Using the first letters of a phrase to create a new word (e.g., "NATO," "laser")

While allusion doesn't introduce new vocabulary, it can sometimes influence the meaning of existing words. For instance, the phrase "Achilles' heel" alludes to a vulnerability in the Greek hero Achilles, and this phrase has come to represent a weakness in a person or system.

However, "Achilles' heel" itself isn't a new word. It's a combination of existing words used metaphorically thanks to the literary device of allusion.

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