The Logodaedalus Function (I've got the word you're looking for!)

[PersonallyIPreferDair]

It strikes me as odd, how the people I've mentioned that don't seem to care much about vocabulary take a liking to rapping.

Wouldn't it be counter-productive to shun acquiring new words that can rhyme and still make sense?
I find it insulting to the English language, as there are many variations at their disposal that they will refuse to acknowledge.

 

[Vermanubis]

It strikes me as odd, how the people I've mentioned that don't seem to care much about vocabulary take a liking to rapping.

Wouldn't it be counter-productive to shun acquiring new words that can rhyme and still make sense?
I find it insulting to the English language, as there are many variations at their disposal that they will refuse to acknowledge.

I think that's a very patently purist mentality if they think that. I think it could be a buncha different reasons, but one of which stands out as possible to me would be that it takes a lot of effort to interpolate new words into an improvisation, so they want to stick to basics/what they know. From an artistic standpoint, that's about as counterproductive to the ultimate purpose and poignancy of self-expression as something can get lol.

 

[PersonallyIPreferDair]

I'd go with the first explanation. Either that, or learning how to be ambiguous is outside of their mental capacity. Typically, I would never label someone as dumb, but I know many people have limits.

 

[Vermanubis]

I'd go with the first explanation. Either that, or learning how to be ambiguous is outside of their mental capacity. Typically, I would never label someone as dumb, but I know many people have limits.

The concept of mental limits is another interesting concept, but I'll restrain myself from indulging in that particular topic for now.

 

[ciaza]

out of curiosity, did you have a system where you learnt such an extensive vocabulary, or did it just come over time?

i'd like to improve mine, but so far my system is to look up a word i don't know whenever i come across it, and iGoogle's 'word of the day' gadget.

.

it is not a good gadget.

 

[Vermanubis]

out of curiosity, did you have a system where you learnt such an extensive vocabulary, or did it just come over time?

i'd like to improve mine, but so far my system is to look up a word i don't know whenever i come across it, and iGoogle's 'word of the day' gadget.

.

it is not a good gadget.

First of all, thank you for the compliment!

Secondly, I've never really had a system, so much as a method of searching out words and synonyms for words, or just coming across useful and obscure words my happenstance, and making it a point to use them so that I could have a contextual reference/mnesic aid.

www.phrontistery.info and http://www.kokogiak.com/logolepsy/ow_f.html are great sites to look for cool words.

It's also extraordinarily helpful to recognize the connotative and denotative properties of a word, which appropriates the word's place and usage more concretely. For instance, as an example I used with DAir, the words disquisition and expatiation both denote (have a basic, semantic meaning of) lengthy discussion, but they connote (imply; have secondary meaning) different things. Disquisition connotes a lecture-like monologue whereas expatiation connotes a mutually-involved discussion between two people.

So yeah, that's the way I've always done it. Recognizing the similarities and dissimilarities of words and their synonyms helps give a better understanding of their usage and assigns each one a "cognitive checksum," wherein that word will immediately be recalled in that given scenario. Eutony (How nice a word sounds) can also affect which words to use in a certain context, but that's more of an artsy-fartsy kinda thing.

 

[ciaza]

thank you, it's interesting to know all these things! my road to lexical greatness begins today it seems

 

[Melomaniacal]

I'm actually very impressed.
Should be an easy one, I'm having a brain fart and can't think of the word: In war, when you create a funnel where it is more easy to defend. There is a more specific and appropriate word for that funnel.

I'm also curious as to just how extensive your knowledge goes, and how it got that extensive. Mostly in terms of industry-specific jargon, because I feel like many of these words you wouldn't know unless you had learned that subject or just arbitrarily looked them up.

 

[Vermanubis]

I'm actually very impressed.
Should be an easy one, I'm having a brain fart and can't think of the word: In war, when you create a funnel where it is more easy to defend. There is a more specific and appropriate word for that funnel.

I'm also curious as to just how extensive your knowledge goes, and how it got that extensive. Mostly in terms of industry-specific jargon, because I feel like many of these words you wouldn't know unless you had learned that subject or just arbitrarily looked them up.

Not sure I know exactly what you're referring to. A tunnel like what the Viet Cong used or a Foxhole/Trench?

And I appreciate the kind word, very much so, and am honored. There's a long story behind why I study the things I do and with such fervor, but I can say in short that it's just the product of me finding just about everything fascinating, and a couple years of studying and following down the paths that I learned about from either presiding or subtopics. The one thing I learned through it all though, as evidenced by the making of this topic and its contents, is that the importance of words in thought and successful interpretation/comprehension of a given topic far, far exceeds what one who doesn't typically extol such a complexly-engineered system feat might know. Words're Platonic to me, in that which they capture essence and form and are a substrate for "pure thought."

As for how far it goes? Not too positive I can answer that one.

 

[Melomaniacal]

Not sure I know exactly what you're referring to. A tunnel like what the Viet Cong used or a Foxhole/Trench?

And I appreciate the kind word, very much so, and am honored. There's a long story behind why I study the things I do and with such fervor, but I can say in short that it's just the product of me finding just about everything fascinating, and a couple years of studying and following down the paths that I learned about from either presiding or subtopics. The one thing I learned through it all though, as evidenced by the making of this topic and its contents, is that the importance of words in thought and successful interpretation/comprehension of a given topic far, far exceeds what one who doesn't typically extol such a complexly-engineered system feat might know. Words're Platonic to me, in that which they capture essence and form and are a substrate for "pure thought."

As for how far it goes? Not too positive I can answer that one.

More like what the Spartans used. Commonly used in Starcraft and other RTS's. Funnel, not tunnel. So, like... it's the small gap created in order to force opposing forces to funnel in their army in small numbers at a time. I feel like it's a really easy and obvious word, I just can't for the life of me remember it.

 

[Vermanubis]

More like what the Spartans used. Commonly used in Starcraft and other RTS's. Funnel, not tunnel. So, like... it's the small gap created in order to force opposing forces to funnel in their army in small numbers at a time. I feel like it's a really easy and obvious word, I just can't for the life of me remember it.

Oh, I know exactly what you're talking about. I think it's called bottlenecking, but that's the only atomic word I can think of. There are other names for it like linear ambushing, but I don't think there's a term other than that for it (which disappoints me, so I'll make one up. :D)

Orthocide: to kill in a straight line. Isotaxis could work, too, meaning "movement in a line," but to a lesser degree. On second though, interestingly enough, -taxis is the root of the modern "tactic," so "isotactic" would actually be the <more> suitable word.

 

[Melomaniacal]

Oh, I know exactly what you're talking about. I think it's called bottlenecking, but that's the only atomic word I can think of. There are other names for it like linear ambushing, but I don't think there's a term other than that for it (which disappoints me, so I'll make one up. :D)

Orthocide: to kill in a straight line. Isotaxis could work, too, meaning "movement in a line," but to a lesser degree. On second though, interestingly enough, -taxis is the root of the modern "tactic," so "isotactic" would actually be the <more> suitable word.

Definitely fits. I think I was thinking more specifically of "choke," but bottleneck is probably better.

I got another (not sure if such a word exists):
Is there a verb form of the word "ritual"? Like, if I were to make something ritualistic, what would I say I did to it?