Tuesday, July 12, 2011

inchoate



inchoate [ɪnˈkoʊɪt] a.

1.) Just begun, incipient; in an initial or early stage; hence elementary, imperfect, undeveloped, immature.
2.) Chaotic, disordered, confused; also, incoherent, rambling. (Often regarded as unetymologically developed through confusion with "chaotic", though perhaps better explained as a regular development from "undeveloped" to "lacking structure".)

inchoate n.

1.) A beginning, rudiment. rare.

Etymology: Latin inchoatus, past participle of inchoare, to begin, alteration of incohare: in- + cohum, strap from yoke to harness.

"In his 'Empirical Survey of Empiricisms,' Dewey said that we needed 'a new concept of experience and a new type of empiricism'—one that invoked neither the Greek contrast of experience and reason nor the atomistic sensationalism of Hume, Mill, and Russell. But he admitted that 'this third view of experience...is is still more or less inchoate.' Most of Dewey's critics felt that it was not only inchoate but confused and disingenuous" (Truth and Progress, Richard Rorty, 1998).

(No. 5, Jackson Pollock, 1948)

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting description!

Anonymous said...

thought it was going to be another one from the iliad...jk good post.

D4 said...

That Pollock piece can represent some of this word, but not all its meanings.. Just putting it up there is making me think. I'm sure this is very relative, too.

Steph said...

Ahh I love Jackson Pollock! Cool word too. =)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

A new word for chaos!

Jennifer Fabulous said...

Awesome painting! Definitely represents the word perfectly, I think. :)

Brandon Sample said...

i must say i always feel like i am inchoate.

Zombie said...

thats art? lol.

Unknown said...

Interesting, though if incipient is a synonym I will continue using that instead.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Another word that lawyers love to use, in its first sense, not the second.

Kicking Rocks said...

what a clever word!

dwizzt said...

my mind's so inchoate.

oh. awesome word of the day. :)

Unknown said...

Oh ye gods, I'm always inchoate. At least I no longer have to describe myself as rambling or incoherent when I can say say I'm feeling rather inchoate.

Meri said...

I'm building my inchoate vocabulary with your site? Is that right?

issy said...

soooo this is like a dictionary blog? im confused

Melanie said...

I like this one...I have opportunity to use it often I think.

Magixx said...

that's nice!

Mr. Cactus said...

Awesome word I didn't know and can now use.

Shahan said...

Good word to describe me in a way =D

Oh, and yes there ARE magic missiles!

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