ipso facto, girlfriend! (vocab word help!)
November 29, 2011 3:40 PM Subscribe
is there a word for 'a word that fits its own definition'? for example, sesquipedalian is a big word that by definition means "prone to using big words." is there a formal term for this type of thing?
Best answer: Slightly different question, but previously.
posted by j.edwards at 3:51 PM on November 29, 2011
posted by j.edwards at 3:51 PM on November 29, 2011
Response by poster: thank you both! i knew i had seen something similar previously, but couldn't find it.
posted by carlypennylane at 3:58 PM on November 29, 2011
posted by carlypennylane at 3:58 PM on November 29, 2011
That word always reminds me of the Grelling-Nelson paradox.
posted by klausman at 4:04 PM on November 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by klausman at 4:04 PM on November 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: ha! i loved reading about that, thank you. i was somewhat dissapointed that autological wasn't an obvious example of itself, but i convinced myself that its root words define themselves sufficiently, so, oh well.
posted by carlypennylane at 4:48 PM on November 29, 2011
posted by carlypennylane at 4:48 PM on November 29, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by threeants at 3:42 PM on November 29, 2011