The Ozian Dictionary: 20+ Swankified Words And Neologisms Made Up For Wicked (and What They Mean)

Step into the vibrant, confusing, and utterly "swankified" world of Oz, and you'll quickly realize that the language spoken by its citizens is as colorful as the Emerald City itself. Unlike the original L. Frank Baum novels, the smash-hit Broadway musical, Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, introduces a unique vocabulary of made-up words—or neologisms—that are central to the show's humor, political commentary, and character development. The creation of this distinct "Oz-speak" was a deliberate and brilliant linguistic choice by the musical's creative team, composer Stephen Schwartz and book writer Winnie Holzman, to instantly immerse the audience in a world that is both familiar and fundamentally different from our own, a world where the very language is being manipulated and exaggerated.

As of December 2025, with the excitement surrounding the upcoming two-part film adaptation, fans are once again diving deep into the lore of the musical, particularly the clever, nonsensical language that makes Glinda and Madame Morrible's dialogue so memorable. This guide provides a definitive, updated glossary of the most famous Ozian words, explaining their context and the linguistic tricks used to invent them, drawing from the official companion book, The Grimmerie.

The Linguistic Intent: Why Wicked Needed New Words

The decision to infuse Wicked with made-up words was not just for fun; it serves a crucial narrative and thematic purpose. The musical's creators, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, needed a way to differentiate the culture and mindset of Oz from the standard English-speaking world.

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• Character Development: The words often reflect the character speaking them. Glinda, in particular, uses highly exaggerated, frivolous-sounding terms like "swankified" to convey her superficial, social-climbing nature and her desire to elevate everything to a new level of fabulousness.
• Political Satire: Words invented by characters like Madame Morrible often mirror real-world political jargon, where simple concepts are obscured or given a grand, misleading title to manipulate public opinion.
• Whimsical Immersion: The neologisms immediately signal to the audience that they are in a fantasy world, one where the rules of language, much like the rules of physics, are slightly askew. The words typically follow a pattern of adding prefixes or suffixes (like -ify, -ified, -ism) to existing English root words, making their meaning clear through context, but giving them a distinctly "Ozian" flair.

Glinda's Swankified Vocabulary: The 'Iffy' Words

The most recognizable category of made-up words in Wicked are those that end in the suffix "-ify" or "-ified." These are predominantly used by Glinda (and later, Elphaba, ironically) and are designed to sound overly dramatic, glamorous, or self-important. They take a standard verb or adjective and essentially "upgrade" it to an Ozian equivalent. These words are the epitome of the musical's light-hearted, yet sharp, satire on superficiality.

Here is a list of Glinda’s most famous "iffy" words and their meanings:

• Rejoicify (v): To rejoice or celebrate with extreme, over-the-top enthusiasm. This is famously sung in the finale of Act I, "Defying Gravity," when Glinda tells the crowd to "Let us rejoicify!"
• Swankified (adj): The most stylish, fashionable, or glamorous. It means to be elevated to a state of ultimate 'swank.' Glinda uses this term to describe the most fashionable place in town.
• Confusifying (adj): Causing confusion in a complicated, frustrating, or baffling way. A simple confusion is not enough; it must be "confusifying."
• Thrillingifying (adj): Extremely thrilling or exciting. Used to describe something that goes beyond mere excitement into a realm of pure Ozian exhilaration.
• Disgusticified (adj): To be deeply disgusted or revolted. It's an exaggerated form of "disgusted," implying a moral or social revulsion.
• Demand-erating (adj): Doubly difficult or challenging, especially in terms of required effort or mental strain.
• Degreenify (v): Literally, to bleach or remove all verdant (green) hues. This term is, of course, a poignant reference to Elphaba’s skin color and the political desire to make her "normal."

Madame Morrible's Political and Rhetorical Neologisms

In contrast to Glinda's social vocabulary, Madame Morrible, the Headmistress and later the Wizard’s Press Secretary, invents words that are designed to sound official, intellectual, and authoritative. Her neologisms are tools of political manipulation and propaganda, giving a false sense of gravitas to simple, often cruel, actions. This is a subtle yet powerful commentary on how language is used to control public narrative.

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These terms often use suffixes like "-ism" or are portmanteaus (blending two words) to create a sense of manufactured, complex ideology:

• Braverism (n): A political term used to describe an act of bravery or courage, often in the context of state-sanctioned heroism. Morrible uses this to frame specific actions as part of a national ethos.
• Peristrophist (n): A person who engages the words of their opponent during an argument in a way that transforms the meaning of those words to support their own viewpoint. This is a highly specific, intellectualized term for a rhetorician or propagandist.
• Outuendo (n): Used in conjunction with "innuendo" for humorous effect, suggesting an obvious or overt hint, as opposed to a subtle, underlying one.
• Gratitution (n): A blend of "gratitude" and "institution." While not an official definition, the context implies a mandatory or institutionalized form of thankfulness or obligation, suggesting that thanks are demanded, not freely given.
• Disturburance (n): A simple word like "disturbance" but with an extra syllable added. This is a common linguistic trick in Oz-speak, where adding a syllable makes the word sound more profound, more official, or simply more "Ozian."

The Secret Spells: Language and Magic

Beyond the Oz-speak of the dialogue, the most secretive and linguistically complex made-up words in Wicked are the actual magical spells. These are the words Elphaba speaks when she attempts to cast magic, particularly in songs like "No Good Deed" and "For Good."

Composer Stephen Schwartz revealed that the spells are not random nonsense syllables. Instead, he created them by taking words from various real-world languages—such as Latin, German, and others—that relate to the spell's intended effect, and then slightly altering them. This makes the spells sound ancient, powerful, and mysterious, while still carrying a hidden meaning for those who know the source.

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While a full translation of every spell is complex, here are a few examples of the linguistic roots in the spells:

• "Hoc Est Enim Corpus Meum" (Root): This is Latin for "This is my body," a phrase from the Catholic Mass. Schwartz often uses Latin roots for spells related to transformation or creation.
• "Fons Vitae" (Root): Latin for "Fountain of Life." This is often used in spells related to healing or life force.
• "Tempus Fugit" (Root): Latin for "Time flies." Used in spells that manipulate or accelerate time.

The subtle alteration of these roots creates the final, complex magical incantations heard in the musical, reinforcing the idea that Elphaba is tapping into a true, ancient power that is distinct from the Wizard’s manufactured magic.

The Impact of Oz-Speak on Wicked's Legacy

The invented vocabulary of Wicked is one of the musical's most enduring and clever elements. It has done more than just add flavor; it has deepened the satire and characterization. Glinda's "swankified" enthusiasm, Madame Morrible's "braverism" propaganda, and Elphaba’s secret, ancient spells all work together to build a richly layered world.

The genius of this linguistic invention lies in its accessibility. By simply adding a recognizable suffix to a familiar root word (e.g., rejoice + ify = rejoicify), the creators ensure that the audience never needs a formal dictionary to understand the dialogue. Instead, the neologisms become instantly understandable, adding a layer of whimsical fun while simultaneously highlighting the themes of manipulation, social pressure, and the power of language to shape reality in the fantastical land of Oz.

As the story continues to be retold on screen and stage, these unique words remain a testament to the power of creative writing and lyricism, forever making the world of Wicked a truly "thrillingifying" experience.