Make Your Point: LETHOLOGICA

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LETHOLOGICA

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

pronounce LETHOLOGICA:

LEE thuh LODGE ick uh

connect this word to others:

A high five to Rolland for finding us the word lethologica!

Literally "forgetting (a) word," it's the phenomenon of not being able to remember a word when you need it. Also known as "tip of the tongue," "tip-of-the-tongue syndrome," "tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon," and lethonomia (literally "forgetting a name").

Lethologica and lethonomia are closely related to a familiar word that means "tiredness or exhaustion: a state of not doing very much, not moving very much, or in a sense, 'forgetting' to do anything at all." Can you recall that one? It's leth____.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

In Greek myth, Lethe is a river of forgetfulness, of oblivion: people drink from it and forget their entire lives as they head to the underworld.

So, if you call something Lethean, you mean it helps you forget the past, or it obliterates your memories.

Although you'll find "Lethe" and "Lethean" in major dictionaries like the OED, you have to turn to a medical dictionary—an outdated one—to find "lethologica," a word coined around the year 1915 from Greek bits meaning "forget" and "word." (Lots of sources credit Carl Jung for coining "lethologica," but if that primary source exists, I can't find it. Let me know if you can!)

The newest dictionary I could find that still recognizes "lethologica" is the 1957 edition of Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary:

(Source)

It's gone from that same dictionary by the 1988 edition. I guess they... forgot about it.

But word nerds haven't! "Lethologica" remains one of those quirky words that makes the rounds online and shows up in books full of weird words for word lovers.

Does that make it a real word, and is it worth knowing? I'd argue yes and yes. Its etymology is clear and logical, it did briefly enjoy recognition in a medical dictionary, and it names a sensation we've all experienced. So let's use it!

To reiterate: lethologica is the minor, normal, temporary but annoying experience of having forgotten a word. You're trying to think of it, and it's on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't get to it.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the uncountable kind: "Lethologica always hits at just the wrong moment."

Other forms:

The adjective is "lethological," and the adverb, "lethologically." Both are very rare but have been used in print.

how to use it:

Pick the rare, quirky word "lethologica" instead of "tip-of-the-tongue syndrome" when you want to sound kooky, old-fashioned, and overly academic.

You'll probably want to explain its meaning for your readers. Most readers understand the "-logica" bit, but not many among us instantly recognize the reference to Lethe, the river of forgetting.

You might talk about attacks of lethologica, or about people lapsing into lethologica, or getting annoyed by or slowed down by lethologica.

examples:

"He would start a story and would come to dates and names he knew well, but that he could not pry loose from his memory; he would grope for the words, and he often apologized for his 'lethologica.' The first time he used the term I had never heard it and suspected him of having invented it on the spot."
— Bryant Boutwell, John P. McGovern, MD: A Lifetime of Stories, 2015

"It probably wasn't the best idea to let Bryant do the talking, but the old man relished explaining his thinking to others and would not be dissuaded, despite the fact that he was prone to lethologica, not to mention an annoying habit of wandering off-topic at the most crucial moments."
— Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May on the Loose, 2009

— University Books, Inc., advertisement in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Volume 40, Issue 1, 1984

has this page helped you understand "lethologica"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "lethologica" without saying "when you can't find a word" or "difficulty retrieving a word."

try it out:

Here's my favorite example of lethologica on TV, from the show Community:

Sgt Nunez: "Somebody broke that thing that comes down from the parking booth... You know the thing that comes down, keeps the cars from coming in... The thing. It's like a gate, but it's just a stick. Comes down, from a hinge. Keeps the cars out. Goes up and down 90 degrees."

Chang: "The arm."

(Source)

I'm still LOLing at how he gestures with his arm but can't think of the word "arm."

Can you describe another example of lethologica, from fiction or real life, that's similarly amusing, or just frustrating? One where someone makes an admirable effort to find some elusive word?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Idiom Savant."

Flex your facility with familiar phrases by quickly pairing them off with words closely associated in meaning.

For example, you might pair the idiom "a cat has nine lives" with the word "resilient;" "water under the bridge" with "inconsequential;" and "when it rains, it pours" with "proliferate."

Try these today:

Pair these idioms...

1. be on thin ice
2. cover all the bases
3. kill them with kindness
4. look before you leap
5. talk the talk

With these words...

A. bloviate
B. circumspect
C. magnanimous
D. meticulous
E. precarious

To see the answers, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. Near opposites of LETHOLOGICA include

A. LIGHT and CLARITY.
B. FLUENCY and FACILITY.
C. ACCURACY and BELIEVABILITY.

2. On Reddit, a community called _____ exists to resolve lethologica.

A. WhatsTheWord
B. ExplainLikeImFive
C. BreadStapledToTrees

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LETHOLOGICA Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to "Make Your Point" for a daily vocabulary boost.

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LETHOLOGICA

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.