Fwd: "meta"

Arnold M. Zwicky zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
Wed Jul 19 22:49:31 UTC 2006


Nathan Bierma (language columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times) writes
with a query about the word "meta"; he's no longer reading ADS-L
(because of the volume), so if you have a line on something useful,
send to him (nbierm65 at calvin.edu) as well as to the list.  (i have
nothing on the subject myself.)

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Nathan Bierma" <nbierm65 at calvin.edu>
> Date: July 19, 2006 3:35:42 PM PDT
> To: <zwicky at csli.stanford.edu>
> Subject: "meta"
>
> My editor asked me to do something on "meta" as a new slang term
> (evidently meaning "ironic/self-referential," etc.)...
>
>
> Note:
>
> last listing at dictionary.com:
>
> Main Entry:   meta
> Part of Speech:   noun
> Definition:   something with refers to itself, esp. in self-
> parodying manner
> Example:   A movie-within-a-movie is an example of meta.
> Etymology:   meta `beyond'
>
> Source: Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview
> Edition (v 0.9.6)
> Copyright © 2003-2005 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC
>
>
> also see the 1st paragraph
> http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36696/
> Column_Column_Puritan_Blister_17
>
> also: Google "so meta"
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGGL%2CGGGL%3A2006-18%
> 2CGGGL%3Aen&q=%22so+meta%22&btnG=Search
>

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