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I used the word "hegemonic" tonight. And not even ironically.

I feel so dirty.
There are 20 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 10:45pm on 12/10/2004
At the very least, I see "differance," "mythopoeisis," "discourse formation," and "hyperreality" in your future...
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 10:49pm on 12/10/2004
Hey, don't knock mythopoeic activity.

What's the verb form of "mythopoeisis?" Is there a word for "to make myths?"

yrs--
--Ben
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 11:26pm on 12/10/2004
Hm... see, this one's difficult. "Mythopoeticize" was my first instinct, but then, to "poeticize" something is not the same as to "make poetry," and you're looking for "make myths..." So it's tempting to go right to the etymology and coin something based on that. But that doesn't quite work either, or at least doesn't give us anything too obviously -- "myth" is of Greek etymology and so is "poeisis," and "poeisis" is already derived from "make" (like "logy" is from "study.") So our starting point, "mythopoeisis," is an English word with the meaning of "make myth," but it's still a noun encoding the participant form of a process. So now we need a verb form that gets at it without being overly redundant. I'm worthless as far as actual Ancient Greek morphology, so I can't give you the Greek infinitive form or stem (as applicable) of "poeisis." And even if I could, we'd probably really be stretching because chances are it'd be way in the realm of gibberish as far as English verb morphology is concerned. Probably.

We might be best off looking for a completely unrelated verb for myth-telling from another language :-)

Nothing springs immediately to mind. I'll give the matter further consideration...
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 11:36pm on 12/10/2004
To mythopoise?

I'm just full of neologisms tonight.

yrs--
--Ben

P.S. Of course, we could just take "myth" and convert it directly into a verb form: "he mythed." I mean, it happend to "lunch." But it does sound a little system.
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 11:39pm on 12/10/2004
hah. I meant to write "stupid" and I wrote "system." Who has been talking too much RPG theory? Who? Who?
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 12:03am on 13/10/2004
Heh.
 
posted by [identity profile] unrequitedthai.livejournal.com at 03:35pm on 13/10/2004
Join our sad, sad club.
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 12:09am on 13/10/2004
That just might work. Hmm... or how about, "mythicate?" "Mythify?" "Mythologize..." but, wait for it, where's the poeisis? Why can't poeisis get any love?

How about "wax mythopoetic," as in, "Yeah, we were talking about RPGs and Ben started waxing mythopoetic on us again." Ok, I admit it probably isn't general enough to cover "make myths" in general.

How about, "mythtify?" Hm, I guess that would be like to totally rock someone with a myth, as in, "The old man mythtified us with his tale."
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 11:29pm on 12/10/2004
And while we're at it, what's your preferred verb form for "hegemony?"

Hegemonize? Sounds like demonize. Ooh, ooh, I got it.

Hegemonopolize.
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 11:34pm on 12/10/2004
Hegemonify.

"Dude, the Big Model Theory has totally hegemonified in the last six months."

Or, in a transitive usage:

"Man, look at Parker. He's, like, hegemonified six paradigms in under 30 seconds. Whadda showoff."
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 12:02am on 13/10/2004
I see a world where hegemonify and hegemonopolize can live together in harmony.

A world where "hegemonify" covers the territory of "to set in hegemonically, to become hegemonic," while "hegemonopolize" refers to the active encroachment on, the hegemonic colonization of, other discourses.

e.g. "Yeah, and not only that, but the Big Model is really hegemonopolizing RPG theory these days."
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 12:16am on 13/10/2004
Absolutely. I would go as far as to say that we are living in that world, sir.

As in "Critical Discourse Analysis has recently hegemonopolized both linguistics and media theory." Right?

In a related note, I love English. It isn't so much a language as an extended, 1500-hundred-year-long linguistic jazz session.

yrs--
--Ben
 
posted by [identity profile] rich-forest.livejournal.com at 12:39am on 13/10/2004
Quote:
As in "Critical Discourse Analysis has recently hegemonopolized both linguistics and media theory." Right?

Heh, I love it.
 
posted by (anonymous) at 07:40pm on 15/10/2004
Just for the record: "hegemonize" is correct - in Greek.

Although the other alternatives are much funnier and should become the correct version in English.

-- A friend of Ben, who speaks Greek.
 
posted by [identity profile] foreign-devilry.livejournal.com at 05:24am on 13/10/2004
You guys are, as we say in the South, a hoot.

"Hegemonopolize" indeed. Since I'm in Cultural Studies, I'll see if I can't popularize that word for you.
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 08:32am on 13/10/2004
Now I really feel dirty. How can I hold my head up in respectable pre-post-post circles after aiding in Cultural Studies' hegemonopoloization of language?

;-)

yrs--
--Ben
 
posted by [identity profile] clockwise.livejournal.com at 11:54am on 13/10/2004
Isn't this really more of a hegemonoexploitation of language?
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 11:58am on 13/10/2004
*sniffs* I think two neologisms is quite enough for one day, thanks. We're not speaking German.

:-)

yrs--
--Ben
 
posted by [identity profile] foreign-devilry.livejournal.com at 07:00am on 14/10/2004
Mmm, the language that brought us "gesamtkunstwerk." It's too bad English can't do that. maybe We should start capitalizing all the Nouns too...
 
posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 08:44am on 14/10/2004
capitalize Nouns will not. Crazy Language german is.

yrs--
--Ben

P.S. I just want "le" in English. Like they have in Singapore.

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