metanohi/site/writings/atem.org

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2011-07-26 03:04:17 +02:00
#+title: Atem: a new word
2011-07-27 02:44:23 +02:00
#&summary
A presentation of the new word 'atem' and why it's so desperately needed
#&
#+license: bysa
2011-07-26 03:04:17 +02:00
2011-07-27 02:44:23 +02:00
* Atem: a new word
Have you ever checked the Wiktionary entry for 'meta'? I have. It's right
[[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/meta#English][here]]. When I looked at it, I noticed that there were no antonyms. *None!*
But why?
#+caption: This alien agrees.
#&img;url=/img/aliens/lulala.png,float=right,width=200
I often find it useful to be able to un-metaize complex thoughts: instead of
thinking about thinking (meta-thinking), I think. Nothing else. However, when I
mention that "I think", it may not be obvious that before I was thinking, I was
thinking about thinking, which is why I have chosen to create *atem*, a new
word whose only function is to act as meta's antonym. With this word, I can now
say that "I atem-think", meaning "I think because I thought of thinking", or I
can say that "I think", meaning "I think". 'atem' removes a lot of ambiguity
from the English language.
Ok, maybe not that often, but sometimes it's useful.
Also, *atem* could be quite useful in abstract definitions, as a way to focus
on making something abstract concrete instead of making something concrete
abstract. For example, this page is probably an atem-page, because somewhere
out there there's a page about this page.
Perhaps every object in existence could be considered an atem object. It's not
impossible, it just doesn't make much sense.
Still, this word could be useful. I hope it gets into a dictionary.
2012-02-11 18:17:41 +01:00
* Update, February 11, 2012 (UTC)
I just found out that I'm not the only one who at some point found the lack of
a meta antonym strange and annoying. Naturally, I can't rely on Wiktionary to
give me the latest opinions on language extensions.
A recent internet search for "meta antonym" gave me several links to pages
where other people discussed the need. Someone have even proposed the word
"mesa". I don't care if the new antonym becomes "atem", "mesa" (which I guess
has nothing to do with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_(computer_graphics)][this Mesa]]), or something else --- I just want it to
exist.