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#119104 01/07/2004 11:19 PM
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stranger
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A definition sorely in need of a word to match it:

"A word or phrase that one has encountered through reading but neither heard nor pronounced aloud."

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

-Carter



#119105 01/07/2004 11:30 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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How about read letter daze? ;)


#119106 01/07/2004 11:55 PM
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stranger
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Hehe- a worthy pun, but not quite what I was looking for.

Now, we've all experienced this phenomenon (particularly with idiomatic or non-native terms), but I've never heard anyone name it. Don't tell me I've stumped the philologi...


#119107 01/08/2004 12:03 AM
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indeed, we have all done this. :)

how about mutterence?


#119108 01/08/2004 12:33 AM
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maybe "sayhow"



formerly known as etaoin...
#119109 01/08/2004 12:42 AM
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Autodidactogram


#119110 01/08/2004 1:00 AM
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Welcome, 3003. How about "part of my passive vocabulary"?


#119111 01/08/2004 4:45 AM
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But wouldn't a word you know the meaning of when you hear it but don't use yourself be part of your passive vocabulary?

TV news stories or documentaries, for example, often have words I might recognise in context but never use myself. Since I never use them, I can't give any definite examples.

Bingley


Bingley
#119112 01/08/2004 9:04 AM
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old hand
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I suggest eruditism or literatism


#119113 01/08/2004 10:34 PM
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addict
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ignaural? innocclear?


#119114 01/09/2004 7:38 AM
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Guessays? Could be a verb too. "Interstices", he said, guessaying the word.

Compounded from 'guess', 'say' and 'essay' (as in: to attempt).



Moderated by  Jackie 

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