Skip to content

My Favourite Words

Understanding Word Types and Language Concepts ...In case you are as dumb and forgetful as me. 😅

Types of Words

  • Noun: A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. For example, tree, computer, or freedom.
  • Verb: A word that denotes action or a state of being. For example, run, think, or exist.
  • Adjective: A word that describes or modifies a noun. For example, happy, blue, or fast.
  • Adverb: A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, often specifying how, when, or where something happens. For example, quickly, very, or here.
  • Pronoun: A word used in place of a noun to avoid repetition. For example, he, she, it, or they.
  • Preposition: A word that shows relationships between other words, often indicating location or time. For example, in, on, before, or after.
  • Conjunction: A word used to connect clauses or sentences. For example, and, but, or because.
  • Interjection: A word or phrase that expresses emotion or exclamation. For example, wow!, ouch!, or oh no!.

Language Concepts

  • Semantics: The study of meaning in language. Semantics focuses on how words, phrases, and sentences convey meaning.

    • Example: The word bank can refer to the side of a river or a financial institution, depending on the context.

  • Grammar: The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language, including word order, tense, and punctuation. Proper grammar helps ensure that language is clear and consistent.

    • Example: He goes to the store follows grammatical rules, while He go to store does not.

  • Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. Syntax refers to the structure of sentences and how different parts of speech are ordered.

    • Example: The cat sat on the mat follows English syntax, while Sat on the mat the cat does not.

Why This Matters

Understanding these terms helps you grasp the function of words in language, allowing you to communicate more effectively and appreciate the intricacies of how meaning is constructed. By knowing the types of words and concepts like grammar and syntax, you can better analyse, create, and understand the beauty of language.

A Priori (Phrase)

  • Is a Latin phrase that means "from the earlier" or "from the before."
  • In philosophy and epistemology, it refers to knowledge or understanding that is independent of experience or observation.
  • A priori knowledge is obtained through reasoning, intuition, or deduction rather than through empirical evidence. It is considered to be innate or inherent, existing prior to any sensory experience.

Affect (Verb)

  • Have an influence on or produce a change in something.

Allusion (Noun)

  • Relates to references or indirect mentions.

Archaic (Adjective)

  • Ancient or old-fashioned or no longer in common use.

Altricial (Adjective)

  • E.g., birds, being born in a helpless condition, immature.
  • Altricality, altricalious.

Altruism (Noun)

  • Principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others.
  • At a cost to yourself.

Autotelic (Adjective)

  • Describes a person or an activity that is intrinsically motivated.
  • Meaning it is done for its own sake rather than for an external reward or goal.
  • The term comes from Greek, where “auto” means “self” and “telos” means “goal” or “end.”
  • An autotelic activity is one where the process itself is fulfilling, without needing an outcome beyond the experience, such as playing music for the joy of it or engaging in a hobby purely for personal satisfaction.
  • The concept is often discussed in the context of flow states, where a person is so immersed in an activity that the experience itself is its own reward.

Automaticity (Noun)

  • Without conscious effort or deliberate control.

Axiom (Noun)

  • Self-evident truth.
  • Statement or proposition that is accepted as true without proof, serving as a foundational starting point for further reasoning or arguments.
  • Axioms are fundamental principles or assumptions that form the basis of a system, such as mathematics, logic, or philosophy. They are considered self-evident or universally accepted within a given framework.
  • For example, in geometry, one of Euclid’s axioms is: “Through any two points, there is exactly one straight line.” This is accepted without proof and used to build further geometric concepts and theorems.

Axiomatic (Adjective)

  • Based on axioms or self-evident truths.

Bayesian (Adjective)

  • Statistical approach or framework that uses probability theory.
  • To make inferences or decisions based on available data and prior knowledge.
  • Involves updating beliefs or probabilities as new evidence is observed.

Beguiled (Verb)

  • To deceive, charm, or enchant someone in a cunning or captivating manner.
  • Implies the act of leading someone astray or causing them to be captivated.
  • Or fascinated by something or someone, often through trickery or manipulation.
  • Also being deeply engrossed or enchanted by something.
  • Often to the point of being deceived or misled.

Belief (Noun)

  • Stories we tell ourselves.

Bequeath (Verb)

  • Pass on.

Betwixt (Preposition)

  • Between. Between two people or things.

Cacophonous (Adjective)

  • Harsh or discordant mixture of sounds. Jarring and unpleasant.

Cathartic (Adjective)

  • Process of releasing or purging emotional or psychological tension.
  • Often through a form of expression such as writing, art, or conversation.
  • Experience or activity that provides a sense of emotional release, relief, or purification.

Conceit (Noun)

  • Excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements.
  • Elaborate or strained metaphor, e.g., "I am the eye of the storm."

Catatonic (Adjective)

  • In psychiatry to describe a set of symptoms often associated with schizophrenia.
  • Catatonia is characterized by a marked decrease in or lack of voluntary movement.

Cheek by Jowl (Adverb)

  • Close together.

Computational Irreducibility (Noun)

  • Computations that cannot be sped up by means of any shortcut.

Congenital (Adjective)

  • Describes a medical condition that exists at or before birth.
  • Congenital disorders or diseases, are either inherited or caused by environmental factors.

Consciousness (Noun)

  • Subjective experience, thoughts - meta & thoughtless thoughts.

Corrigibility (Adjective)

  • Repairable, can be set right, correctable.

Denizen (Noun)

  • Person, animal, or plant living in a particular place.

Dissipation (Noun)

  • (as relating to entropy) causing entropy to increase.

Dualism (Noun)

  • Mind and matter.
  • Monism opposite asserting mind or matter.

Ebullient (Adjective)

  • Full of cheer, enthusiasm, or energy.
  • Something bubbling or boiling.

Effect (Noun)

  • Result, consequence, or outcome of an action or event.

Effrontery (Noun)

  • Attitude that is bold, disrespectful, or audacious.
  • Often crossing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable or appropriate.

Entropic (Adjective)

  • Of entropy or the measure of disorder or randomness in a system.
  • In various fields such as physics, information theory, and thermodynamics, entropy is used to quantify the unpredictability or lack of information in a system.

Entropy (Noun)

  • Molecular disorder, randomness, decay, chaos.

Epiphany (Noun)

  • Sudden realization or comprehension.

Epistemology (Noun)

  • Theory of knowledge.

Ephemeral (Adjective)

  • Lasting a very short time.

Esoteric (Adjective)

  • Knowledge or understanding that is relevant to people with specialized interest.

Euphony (Noun)

  • Pleasing to the ear. Nice sounding.

Equanimity (Noun)

  • Psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by experience.

Equanimous (Adjective)

  • Calm and composed.

Erudition (Noun)

  • Quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning. Being erudite.
  • Characteristic of being scholarly, well-educated, and well-informed.
  • Particularly in a specialized field.

Evanescent (Adjective)

  • Something that is transient, fleeting, or quickly fading away.

Extensible (Adjective)

  • Ability of a system or framework to be easily expanded.
  • Can be modified, or enhanced with additional features or functionality.

Foibles (Noun)

  • Minor weaknesses or eccentricities in character.

FLOPS (Noun)

  • Floating point operations per second.

Fractal (Noun)

  • Complex geometric shape that exhibits self-similarity at various scales.
  • Created through a recursive or iterative process, where a simple geometric pattern is repeated or scaled down multiple times to form intricate and detailed structures.
  • E.g., branches of trees.

Gaussian (Adjective)

  • Gaussian distribution or bell curve. Data clustering around a central value.
  • Mean, median, and mode all coinciding at the center - bell curve.

Hedonism (Noun)

  • Pleasure as intrinsically valuable.

Heuristic (Adjective)

  • Practical approach to problem-solving.
  • Uses shortcuts or rules of thumb to find solutions efficiently, even if they may not be perfect or optimal.
  • Often employed when quick decisions are needed or when a problem is too complex to solve with exhaustive methods.
  • They help simplify decision-making by using experience, intuition, or educated guesses.
  • For example, in computer science, a heuristic algorithm might be used to find a “good enough” solution to a problem without going through every possible option.
  • In psychology, heuristics explain how people make decisions under uncertainty using mental shortcuts.

Heterotrophs (Noun)

  • Organism that eats plants and animals for nourishment.

Homeostasis (Noun)

  • Organisms arriving at environmental stability via complex adjustments.

Hubristic (Adjective)

  • Excessively proud and/or self-confident.

Idealism (Noun)

  • Reality is ultimately mental or ideal.
  • The world is not a mental construct.
  • Mind is the primary reality. Matter is secondary.
  • A type of monism.

Idempotent (Adjective)

  • Performing the operation multiple times produces the same outcome.
  • Running the same procedure repeatedly does not change a system after the first time.
  • Important for automatically checking state consistency without extra overhead.

Illusion (Noun)

  • Relates to deceptive or misleading perceptions.

Immutable (Adjective)

  • Property of an object or data structure that cannot be modified or changed.

Interoception (Noun)

  • A lesser-known sense. Knowing what is going on in your body.
  • Also includes Proprioception (body in space) & Exteroception (vision & hearing etc).

Intractable (Adjective)

  • Difficult to manage, control, or solve.

Intrepid (Adjective)

  • Very brave and not afraid to do dangerous things.
  • Implies fearlessness, courage, and boldness.

Intrinsic (Adjective)

  • Belonging to the essential nature of a thing.

Instrumental (Adjective)

  • Utility. Causing something to happen.

Jalopy (Noun)

  • In poor condition or in need of significant repairs.

Jettison (Verb)

  • Discarding anything unwanted or burdensome.

Kaizen (Noun)

  • Japanese term that means "change for the better" or "continuous improvement."

Lineage (Noun)

  • Descent to a common ancestor.

Lucidity (Noun)

  • Clarity, either in expression or thought, or the ability to see things clearly.
  • Lucid dream - where the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming.

Mastication (Noun)

  • Chewing. A complex process involving the jaw and saliva etc.

Materialism (Noun)

  • Philosophical and economic system that believes that the only reality is matter.
  • A type of monism.

Melancholy (Noun)

  • Deep sadness, gloom, or depression.

Memetic (Adjective)

  • Study of memes. Spread & stick potential.
  • Ideas, behaviours, or cultural phenomena that spread and replicate from person to person within a culture.
  • Mindful Optimist - from Max Tegmark's Life 3.0.

Metanoia (Noun)

  • Term of Greek origin that refers to a transformative change of heart, especially a spiritual conversion. It is often used in religious contexts to describe repentance or a fundamental shift in one’s outlook or attitude.

Myelin (Noun)

  • Fatty substance that forms a protective covering around nerve fibers.
  • In the central and peripheral nervous systems.
  • Composed of specialised cells called oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system.
  • Primary function of myelin is to insulate and enhance the transmission of electrical impulses along the nerve fibers, allowing for faster and more efficient communication between neurons.

Myopic (Adjective)

  • Lacking foresight or intellectual insight. Short sighted.

Neologism (Noun)

  • Newly coined word, phrase, or expression that has entered into common use.

Neuro-Reductionism (Noun)

  • Everything explained by physical processes occurring in the brain.
  • Ultimately organisms are just neural processes or neural computations.

Neuroticism (Noun)

  • One of the five major traits in the widely accepted Five Factor Model.
  • Of personality, along with extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
  • In this context, neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, or depression.

Nix (Verb)

  • To cancel, reject, or eliminate.
  • The term "nix" is derived from the German word "nichts," which means "nothing."

Non Sequitur (Noun)

  • Latin phrase that translates to "it does not follow."
  • In a general sense, it's used to indicate something that doesn't logically follow from the premises or context. It's used in several different contexts, including logic, conversation, and humor.

Obfuscate (Verb)

  • Making something unclear, confusing, or difficult to understand.

Oblique (Adjective)

  • Implies a deviation from a direct or perpendicular path.
  • Whether in a physical, linguistic, or metaphorical sense.

Obstinate (Adjective)

  • Stubbornly rejecting persuasion to change action or opinion.

Oligodendrocytes (Noun)

  • Type of glial cell found in the central nervous system (CNS).
  • Which includes the brain and spinal cord.
  • These cells play a crucial role in supporting and insulating nerve cells called neurons by producing myelin, a fatty substance that forms a protective layer around the axons of neurons.

Ontology (Noun)

  • Formal representation of knowledge within a domain, characterised by a set of concepts, categories, and relationships. It goes beyond mere classification (as in a taxonomy) by defining the properties of concepts and the rules that describe how they can be related to each other.
  • The nature of being.
  • Deriving meaning from taxonomy.

Orthogonal (Adjective)

  • Perpendicular or at right angles to each other. Independent of.
  • Used in mathematics and physics, or metaphorically.
  • Statistically independent or unrelated in effect or influence.

Oscillation (Noun)

  • Movement back and forth at a regular speed or the variation.
  • Typically in a physical system, between maximum and minimum values.
  • Similar to the swinging of a pendulum.

Otiose (Adjective)

  • Serving no practical purpose or result.

Panglossian (Adjective)

  • Excessively optimistic.

Panpsychism (Noun)

  • Belief that mind or consciousness is a universal feature of all things.

Parsimony (Noun)

  • Principle of simplicity or economy in explaining something as optimal.

Pedagogy (Noun)

  • Theory and practice of teaching.
  • Including instructional methods, strategies, and approaches.

Pedology (Noun)

  • Soil branch of science.

Phenomenology (Noun)

  • The study of conscious experiences from the first-person point of view.

Phenomenon (Noun)

  • Often used to describe something that is remarkable, extraordinary, or unusual.

Plasma (Noun)

  • Prolific in the universe, a collection of charged ions or electrons.

Platonic (Adjective)

  • Plato proposed the existence of an ideal or perfect realm of Forms.
  • Which are abstract entities representing the true nature or essence of things.
  • Forms are believed to be timeless, unchanging, and eternal, serving as the ultimate reality.
  • Can also refer to a non-sexual or purely intellectual relationship between two individuals, based on deep friendship, mutual respect, and philosophical discussions rather than romantic or physical attraction.

Polestar (Noun)

  • Metaphorically to refer to a guide or guiding principle.

Postulate (Noun)

  • Accepted as true without proof. Assumption for reasoning or deduction.

Prophecy (Noun)

  • Communicated by a divine or supernatural entity.

Prophesy (Verb)

  • Make a prediction or to foretell future events or outcomes.

Prophylactic (Adjective)

  • Designed to prevent disease or other undesirable conditions.

Protean (Adjective)

  • Versatile and capable of assuming various forms or roles.
  • Our protean nature.

Psyche (Noun)

  • Highly motivated or stoked to climb.

Qualia (Noun)

  • Instances of subjective conscious experience. Content of subjects' experience.
  • Subjective sensations.
  • Subjective experience.
  • Philosophy of mind.
  • Commonly used in context of the hard problem of consciousness.

Quark (Noun)

  • Elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter.
  • Six flavors: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom.
  • Which combine in various ways to form other particles, such as protons and neutrons.

Quintessence (Noun)

  • The most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

Recalcitrance (Noun)

  • Stubbornly difficult, complex, hard to solve.

Recursion (Noun)

  • Process or technique of solving a problem by breaking it down into smaller instances of the same problem. In computer science, recursion is a programming concept where a function calls itself within its own definition. This allows the function to solve complex problems by reducing them to simpler, self-referential cases.
  • Recursion is often used when a problem can be divided into identical or similar subproblems, making it an efficient and elegant way to solve certain types of problems.

Renaissance (Noun)

  • Cultural and artistic rebirth that occurred in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries.
  • Renewed interest in the classical cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as a focus on humanism, individualism, and scientific exploration.
  • Marked a significant shift from the medieval period and witnessed advancements in various fields such as art, literature, music, science, philosophy, and architecture.
  • Prominent figures of the Renaissance include Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, William Shakespeare, and Galileo Galilei.
  • The era is often seen as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the modern world, and it had a profound and lasting impact on European civilization.

Risible (Adjective)

  • Describes something as laughable, absurd, or worthy of laughter.

Sapient (Adjective)

  • Possessing intelligence, wisdom.

Sentient (Adjective)

  • Capable of sensation, feelings. Max Tegmark's Homo-sentient.

Sesquipedalian (Adjective)

  • Someone who likes long words.

Shtick (Noun)

  • Unique style, mannerism, or characteristic way of doing things.

Sophism (Noun)

  • Ancient Greek teachings of intellectuals known as sophists.
  • Sophistry - use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving.

Solipsism (Noun)

  • Philosophical theory that only one's own mind is sure to exist. The external world and other minds cannot be known or might not exist.

Spectroscopy (Noun)

  • The interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation (such as light) as it is absorbed, emitted, or scattered.

Spiritus Sancti (Noun)

  • Latin phrase for Holy Spirit.

Stochastic (Adjective)

  • Random probability distribution or processes that are random or have a probabilistic nature. Statistical but not predicted precisely.

Syntax (Noun)

  • Grammar.

Semantics (Noun)

  • The meaning or interpretation of a word, sentence, or other language form.

Stymied (Verb)

  • Hindered, blocked, or prevented from making progress.

Sublime (Adjective)

  • Having great beauty, grandeur, or awe. Often used to describe non-human entities or something that is better than ordinary human experience.

Substrate (Noun)

  • Underlying layer. As in substrate independence for computation & consciousness.

Synergy (Noun)

  • A system that is more than the sum of its parts. Combinational effects that exceed the individual sum effects.

Taciturn (Adjective)

  • A person who is habitually reserved or uncommunicative in speech.
  • Someone who tends to be quiet and reluctant to engage in conversation.

Taxonomy (Noun)

  • The scientific classification and categorization of things, often in a hierarchical structure.

Teleology (Noun)

  • The study of purpose, design, or end goals in natural processes.

Tenacity (Noun)

  • The quality or characteristic of being persistent, determined, and resilient.

Theory of Mind (Noun)

  • The cognitive ability to attribute mental states—such as beliefs, intentions, desires, emotions, and knowledge—to oneself and to others.
  • Involves understanding that other people have their own thoughts, feelings, and perspectives, which may differ from one’s own.
  • This skill is crucial for social interaction because it allows individuals to predict and interpret the behavior of others.
  • Theory of mind typically develops in early childhood, around the ages of 4-5, and is a key aspect of social cognition. It is often studied in the context of developmental psychology, especially in relation to conditions like autism, where theory of mind might be impaired or delayed.

Theory of Knowledge (Noun)

  • Epistemology. The study of knowledge, its nature, and how it is acquired.

Trepidation (Noun)

  • A feeling of fear, anxiety, or unease about something that may happen.

Truculent (Adjective)

  • Quick to argue, aggressively defiant.

Valence (Noun)

  • The capacity of one thing to interact with, affect, or influence another.

Varsity (Noun)

  • The highest level of competition in a particular sport or activity, usually associated with college or university teams.
  • Used to distinguish the top-level teams or athletes who represent their educational institution in intercollegiate or interscholastic competitions.

Vitriol (Noun)

  • Bitter criticism or malice.

Voracious (Adjective)

  • Very eager or consuming large amounts of something, like information.

Whimsical (Adjective)

  • Playful or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way.