Semantopoeic
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Definition
Adjective
semantopoeic
Etymology
Semantic and onomatopoeic
Meaning
- Of a word whose spelling or pronunciation is particularly reminiscent of its meaning (as opposed to the sound of its meaning as in the case of onomatopoeia). The word semantopoeic itself is trivially semantopoeic, being that it is a w:frankenword, and of course all words are slightly semantopoeic since that is how we know which words to use in the first place. Slang terms tend to be more semantopeic than average, or are they just semantopoeic with more force?
Examples of semantopoeia
- prydxl
- evisceration
- blitzkrieg
- frankenword
Protologistic motivation
Protologisms that catch on and become neologisms tend to be those that are semantopoeic. Further, is it not the case that the goal of all words is to be as semantopoeic as possible? Therefore there ought to be a word to describe such a fundamental aspect of linguistics.
Alternatives
Not knowing Latin or Greek I cannot produce an etymology from those languages but perhaps someone else can, although the result may be less semantopoeic. Also, possible different combinations include: Onsemantopoeic, semanonamatopoeic, semonamantopoeic, sematopoeic, semantophonetic.
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