Dictionary

nonsensification en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Germanic *ne Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-Germanic *nainaz Proto-West Germanic *nain Old English nān Middle English non ▲ Old English nān Old English nān- Middle English non- English non- Proto-Indo-European *sent-der. Proto-Italic *sentiō Latin sentiō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin sēnsusbor. Proto-Germanic *sinnaz Frankish *sinnbor. Vulgar Latin *sennus Old French sensbor. Middle English sense English sense English nonsense Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -ficātiō Old French -ificationbor. Middle English -ificacioun English -ification English nonsensification From nonsense + -ification.

Meanings

1. (rare) The act of producing nonsense; the nonsense so produced.
   • "Nonsensification": Senseless associations are concocted as a strategy of confusion, especially by compulsives. 1959, J. A. M. Meerloo, “Psychoanalysis as an Experiment in Communication”, in The Psychoanalytic Review, volume 46, number 1, page 80:
   • The Child's Conception of Space (Piaget & Inhelder, 1956) represents a tremendous mental effort to describe the metaphysical contents of Space, the marvelous monads, without really communicating it to anyone. . . . This book is an extraordinary example of nonsensification. 2001, Webster R. Calloway, Jean Piaget: A Most Outrageous Deception, →ISBN, page 122:
   • Simon Weil considered "nonsensification" to be characteristic of fascist regimes. 1992, A. E. Barshay, "Imagining Democracy in Postwar Japan," Journal of Japanese Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 382 n.44
   • "Only a simple suffumigation," said the Baronet, "accompanied by availing ourselves of the suitable planetary hour." "Simple suffumigation? simple nonsensification—planetary hour? planetary fiddlestick!" 1816, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 1, in The Antiquary: Volume II:

Forms

Relateds

nonsensify