Meaning of glossism | Babel Free

Definitions

A focus on the translated meaning of a word or phrase, ignoring all other linguistic attributes such as syntax and phonology.

uncountable

Examples

“This kind of language, obviously, was not a language for writing, and, indeed, not much documentation has been preserved. What little has survived is, again, literary and, again, due to glossism, i.e., the literary exigencies of color, fun, and satire.”

“Glossism is frequently seen when someone asks, “What's the sign for ___?” and, in response, someone unhesitatingly demonstrates a sign.”

“One such evangelical theologian, Helmut Franz, has categorized all theological uses of Heidegger as either eclecticism or glossism.”

“In addition, linguistics has made a further step from the tongue to the ear: The science of the sounds of language, phonology, has left behind all linguism or glossism and has moved from the voice, phoné to the ear, ous, otòs in Greek, to the so-called auditive or acoustic phonology which I would like to call acroamatic phonoloy or oto-phonology.”

CEFR level