There are over 60 words in the English language ending in the suffix ola, many of ancient origin [...].
Regardless of who put the ola in Victrola the coinage was remarkably successful. Within in a few years not only were over a hundred varieties of talking machine were ola-ized, but the concept spread to non-phonographic products such as foodstuffs, and then transformed into a sort of all-purpose suffix. American slang picked up words such as buffola and schnozzola.
A recent Associated Press dispatch about recording industry bribery to radio stations is illustrative. The writer notes that the practice is known a payola, "a combination of pay and Victrola."
A short list of olas
- Grafonola - Nov. 4, 1909
- Amberola - Nov. 11, 1909
- Phonola - April 11, 1911
- Graduola - Dec. 31, 1913
- Vitanola - Feb. 15, 1915
- Concertola - Dec. 15, 1915
- Orchestrola - May 2, 1916
- Carola - Dec. 19, 1916
- Crystola - Oct. 15, 1917
- Harpola - Nov. 15, 1917
- Modernola - Aug. 5, 1918
- Robinola - Jan. 1, 1920
- Carusola - Nov. 1, 1921
- Lyricola - Sept. 19, 1922
- Bingola - Sept. 24, 1927
Vicki Young, intertique.com; Sept. 2005
No comments:
Post a Comment