Can one with a [sic] use obsequity as a noun in parallel with or instead of obsequiousness, with [sic] added to show you are inventing.
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2If by "in parallel with" you mean using both forms within the same utterance I think that would be incredibly clumsy. The full OED does recognise obsequity as a rare alternative to obsequiousness, and obviously native speakers would understand it even if they couldn't find it in a dictionary, but why wouldn't you just use the same form as (almost?) everyone else?– FumbleFingersAug 16, 2018 at 14:02
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4That's not what [sic] means. That's for quotations, to show that the author is reporting the exact words of the speaker being quoted. It's normally used to mark solecisms on the part of the quoted speaker, and not special word inventions on the part of the author. As a general rule, if you use an obscure word in a definition, you're getting farther from clarity, not closer.– John LawlerAug 16, 2018 at 14:16
1 Answer
The use of '[sic]' indicates a known mistake in quoted text. It shouldn't be used in the manner you suggest.
To deliberately invent a word or phrase, you need to call it out in a different manner.
It's possible you could do one of the following, but either might be misunderstood:
It's so-called obsequity.
It's "obsequity."
The first phrasing would sound strange in relation to a word that doesn't exist, while the second could be misunderstood as meaning that you are referring to it in a sarcastic manner rather than one of invention. In both cases, it could be taken as a mistake or typo.
I can see no simple way of getting around this other than to be deliberately informative:
To coin a word, I will call this obsequity.
Here, you are making it clear it's not a typo. By putting it in italics the first time, you're indicating its use as a word. Once you've used it initially, you can use it again later on (in roman type) if you wish.
As a note, Merriam-Webster does have a definition for the noun obsequity:
: the quality or state or being obsequious : obsequiousness
So, a discussion of how to claim it as an invented word may be moot.