![]() Justice's prediction was an extremely rare instance of a lexicographer predicting the future. Cohen quoted David Justice, at the time Merriam-Webster's editor in charge of pronunciation and etymology, who predicted that meta could follow retro as a prefix that developed its own meaning as a standalone word, offering the example, "Wow, this sentence is so meta." In 1988, the journalist Noam Cohen wrote an article for The New Republic titled "Meta-Musings," in which he contemplated the increasing frequency of meta- as a prefix. The idea of meta as encapsulated by the adjective is a relatively new phenomenon-and in what may be one of the most meta things that can occur in lexicography, we here at the ol' word factory might have had something to do with it. That ironic detachment, the coy reference to the idea of lamps and lighting up is the essence of meta. But a picture of a lamp that itself lights up is notable because it is distanced from the lamp while still making a witty comment on what lamps do-that is, light up. Karissa Bell et al., Wired, December 2012Ī lamp that lights up would not be notable on its own. ![]() Designer Finn Magee's trompe l'oeil is printed on plastic, embedded with electronics, and equipped with a cord and switch. The meta gift of the year: a picture of a lamp that actually lights up. So many things, in fact, can be viewed through the lens of self-reference that meta has taken on its own identity as an adjective. And metadata is data that helps you further analyze other data-for example, the number of surveys that were taken on a given subject. In its most basic use, meta- describes a subject in a way that transcends its original limits, considering the subject itself as an object of reflection.Ĭonsequently, metatheory is theory about theory metacriticism is criticism about how we critique a work of art metafiction is fiction in which the author takes steps to acknowledge the artifice of fiction writing. The word meta is Greek and means "among, with, after," but we can thank New Latin, the language of scientific nomenclature, for its use prefixing the names of certain disciplines. ![]() With helpful writing templates for a variety of needs, you can focus on the contents of your leading lady’s novel or screenplay.In its most basic use, 'meta-' describes a subject in a way that transcends its original limits, considering the subject itself as an object of reflection. Whether you’re looking to write a self-referential screenplay, completing research about transformations, or figuring out a plan to complete a quest in the newest game you’re playing, Microsoft can help you get the job done. It can also refer to someone who is the best at a specific task. Instead of its original use as a prefix or its more modern usage as an adjective, in gaming it’s an acronym for “Most Effective Tactics Available.” In gaming, this refers to the best course of action that can be taken to complete a task or win the game. The prefix meta- has been co-opted by the gaming community. Podcasts that comment on and review other podcasts. A YouTube video about other YouTube videos. Stitching a sewing machine patch on a jacket with a sewing machine. A comic strip about drawing comic strips.
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