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"Incel" etymology: Difference between revisions
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The terms "[[incelibate]]" or "[[incel]]" are abbreviations of "involuntary celibate", coined in 1739 by [[Antoine Banier]]. It is one of many other terms that describe involuntarily celibate people. See the articles [[synonyms]] and [[synonyms of inceldom]] for a summary. But why has the term "incel" caught on? Why haven't any of the other terms with a similar meaning been as catchy or as popularized? This can be explained by two generalized factors; (a) phonetics and (b) accuracy. [[Ton den Boon]] was the first lexicographer to define the term "incel", defining it as a gender-neutral noun, meaning someone who lives involuntarily celibate. | The terms "[[incelibate]]" or "[[incel]]" are abbreviations of "involuntary celibate", coined in 1739 by [[Antoine Banier]]. It is one of many other terms that describe [[involuntarily celibate]] people. See the articles [[synonyms]] and [[synonyms of inceldom]] for a summary. But why has the term "incel" caught on? Why haven't any of the other terms with a similar meaning been as catchy or as popularized? This can be explained by two generalized factors; (a) phonetics and (b) accuracy. [[Ton den Boon]] was the first lexicographer to define the term "incel", defining it as a gender-neutral noun, meaning someone who lives involuntarily celibate. | ||
The equivocal nature of its etymological derivatives means that "incel" is a catch-all term that covers everyone who seems to be unable to get a romantic partner. This is unlike "[[love-shy]]" which is primarily focused on [[mentalcel]]s, or "[[TFL]]" which has a specified focus on peculiar causes, and uses the word "forced" thereby hinting at an external overbearing entity. | The equivocal nature of its etymological derivatives means that "incel" is a catch-all term that covers everyone who seems to be unable to get a romantic partner. This is unlike "[[love-shy]]" which is primarily focused on [[mentalcel]]s, or "[[TFL]]" which has a specified focus on peculiar causes, and uses the word "forced" thereby hinting at an external overbearing entity. | ||
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==="Celibacy"=== | ==="Celibacy"=== | ||
One of the upsides in the usage of "involuntary celibacy" is that it has a broad enough scope that it includes those who seek only sex, those who seek only romance as well as those who seek a combination of the two. This means that "involuntary celibacy" is less exclusive than a term such as "involuntary sexual abstinence" which would allude only to sex. Furthermore, [[incelibate]]s, as well as academics who have studied inceldom, often believe that there are societal factors behind inceldom. As such, it becomes succinct to coin a protologism that has societal or cultural undertones. Nobody can argue that the term "celibacy" lacks societal or cultural undertones due to its long tradition in [[Catholicism]]. | One of the upsides in the usage of "involuntary celibacy" is that it has a broad enough scope that it includes those who seek only sex, those who seek only [[romance]] as well as those who seek a combination of the two. This means that "involuntary celibacy" is less exclusive than a term such as "involuntary sexual abstinence" which would allude only to sex. Furthermore, [[incelibate]]s, as well as academics who have studied inceldom, often believe that there are societal factors behind inceldom. As such, it becomes succinct to coin a protologism that has societal or cultural undertones. Nobody can argue that the term "celibacy" lacks societal or cultural undertones due to its long tradition in [[Catholicism]]. | ||
==="Involuntary"=== | ==="Involuntary"=== | ||
Finally, the word "involuntary" in "involuntary celibacy" makes it somewhat of an umbrella term. The adjective "involuntary" is intentionally broad enough that it includes individuals from a broad spectrum of emotional or subjective experiences, including those who are angry about their situation, as well as those who are content with their situation. Although the terms "nonvolitional" and "unintentional" have identical meanings to "involuntary", the former two have the disadvantage of having the prefixes "non-" and "un-" that makes them intractably associated with a determinative rather than the intention of the coinage as a noun. | Finally, the word "involuntary" in "involuntary celibacy" makes it somewhat of an umbrella term. The adjective "involuntary" is intentionally broad enough that it includes individuals from a broad spectrum of emotional or subjective experiences, including those who are angry about their situation, as well as those who are content with their situation. Although the terms "nonvolitional" and "unintentional" have identical meanings to "involuntary", the former two have the disadvantage of having the prefixes "non-" and "un-" that makes them intractably associated with a determinative rather than the intention of the coinage as a noun. | ||
Furthermore, not a single English dictionary has the words "responsibility" or "imposition" in the entries for "involuntary" or its synonym "unintentional". As such, it makes no sense to imply that the usage of the term "involuntary" implies blaming anyone for inceldom since the word involuntary is unloquacious on the matter of morality. | Furthermore, not a single English dictionary has the words "responsibility" or "imposition" in the entries for "involuntary" or its synonym "unintentional". As such, it makes no sense to imply that the usage of the term "involuntary" implies blaming anyone for [[inceldom]] since the word involuntary is unloquacious on the matter of morality. | ||
==Polyseme== | ==Polyseme== | ||