WTW for when there is a fairly straightforward concept that doesn't have a word to describe it?

solved

I don't know if this is too meta, but after being on r/whatstheword for a while, that's what I've been wondering. Language evolves constantly, so really anything could have its own word. But in a world of infinite possibilities, there is of course a chance for any number of things that don't have a word yet.

I think there should probably be a word for something that doesn't have its own word yet.

Also, as an afterthought, I think there's a difference between things that could have a word already, but they just happen to not be named yet, the unknown, on the one hand - and things that are fundamentally unknowable and cannot have a word, on the other hand.

So, the former group could probably have a name.

I don't mean ineffable, that's probably the second group. I don't mean untranslatable, because that assumes that there is a language that has a word for it already.

I'm thinking, when there is a new word, that's a neologism. But what's it called when the neologism hasn't been proposed yet?

Posted Sep 26, 2021, 10:12 AM UTC · edited

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earthgold:karma: Points: 316•

Unnamed

See also innominate; anonymous.

Specific applications too: eg unclassified in biology.

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everflowOP•

Yeah, that was obvious, why didn't I think of that?

The other suggestions are good too. I like innominate.

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everflowOP•

Solved

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xanthraxoid:karma: Points: 9•

I'd call it ripe territory to wedge a random place name into :-D

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Mticore:karma: Points: 6•

Je ne sais quoi?

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