Author: Michael Janairo

My wife has created a new word: plårk.

It could rhyme with “park” or “pork” — either way seems to be fine.

She has the word printed on T-shirts that she gives to her first-year drawing students. The idea she is trying to impress upon them is that making art is a combination of “play” and “work.” Thus, “plårk.”

I imagine the word being used as follows:

• “This assignment is plårk.”
• “Did you plårk yet today?”
• “Yeah, man, I plårked earlier today, and I’m going to be plårking later with some friends.”

I suppose a sample declension would look something like this:

• I plårk. I plårked. I am plårking. I have plårked.
• You plårk. You plårked. You are plårking. You have plårked.
• They plårk. They plårked. They are plårking. They have plårked.

She says that in every class period at least one or two (sometimes more) students are wearing their “plårk” T-shirts.

With about 50 students a semester, maybe in a few years the word will be in common usage by scores of young artists, plårking their way through the world.

What do you think: Will plårk catch on?