I : Inexplicabilitat (adj. inexplicable)

 Dear all,

Let me tell you the original posting and the answers it has brought up so far are among the greatest words I've read on this newsgroup.

So, let me open another thread on that matter, hoping that I won't
miss the point.

The answer to your question is to be found in the traditional inability of languages to express in a few words or rather in a single "nutshell word" the very complex abstract thoughts our minds are able to weave in a few seconds: mixing an idea and its opposite, taking into account a wide range of hints, rejecting a hypothesis but assuming a part of it… and so on.

We learn to express simple feelings (however complex simple feelings are) or complex thoughts but even the most abstract concepts still are "simple" and explainable.
On the contrary, in our minds, they "seem" to appear in a paradigmatic way, mixing and combining reactions, counter-reactions, positive or negative feelings to the hypothetical consequences to the reactions we make up when facing up an event or an idea.
The result are hypercomplex thoughts (let's bill it complexity at a second or third degree) made of "fusion" not of addition!

Thus, what remains in our mind is often an impression, a feeling, a bit of a rough idea that make us become numb, speechless. We are let on our own with a vague sense of confusion. By the time we try and express our thoughts the flow of conversation or incoming ideas prevent us from finding the ersatz (a metaphor, a synecdoche or a metonymy) that would replace the proper (but yet non-existent) word or words.

As a result we often dare not to translate into words those "integrated" concepts, feelings, events or ideas (or whatever) either because of laziness, for it would take to much time and too much effort to explain that amount of hints, collateral aspects and mixed feelings and because the "synthetic word" or "synthetic sentence" have never been created yet.

Even though we can somehow write down our feelings (regardless the number of words we would use to do so …), actually we can't "explain" it because we lack of words expressing our too much complex thoughts, and we stifle them.
It is in that sense that we could say there are indeed concepts or ideas that are "unexplainable" (in English, in Chineese or in Swahili…).

I've sometimes imagined the opportunity of creating such a series of neologisms, even though I'm aware that in the real world would be an impossible task!

But creating just a few ones would probably pay off: this would help us avoid the amount of distrust, misunderstandings, hatred and violence everyday life is made of.

Just imagine a few ones like …

A19 meaning " I'm not sure but I think that you are guessing I understand what you exactly think while trying to mean another thing … If I'm right, you'd better tell me the truth, otherwise everything would be useless."

a20 meaning "I can't prove that you did what you say you didn't do, anyway I'll treat you as if you were guilty even though I won't tell you I will because there is no enough evidence …"

a21 meaning "I like you but I'm not prepared to do X unless you do Y … or you kiss me + Z "

catch22&1/2 meaning [fusion of] "I don't know whether I've managed to make it clear enough, + anyway lots of love , + no irony intended … + forgive my bad English. I'll do a bit better sooner or later … + ;-)"

As you will realize, all but these few "examples" is a serious matter
Intended to make you debate on the theoretical possibility of
thinking of and working with what I billed as "melted concepts"
(made of fusion and not by mere addition).

Up to you to decide how these words should be named and what they should mean to be useful. But tell me, doesn't it prove that there is still room for new "synthetic words" expressing all that present words are "unable" to explain?


Catch22 & 1/2

Sadurní Girona