Meanings
- uncountablehuman sciencesA focus on the translated meaning of a word or phrase, ignoring all other linguistic attributes such as syntax and phonology.
One such evangelical theologian, Helmut Franz, has categorized all theological uses of Heidegger as either eclecticism or glossism.
2010, John Williams, Martin Heidegger’s Philosophy of Religion, →ISBN, page 153 more examples
This kind of language, obviously, was not a language for writing, and, indeed, not much documentation has been preserved. What little has survived is, again, literary and, again, due to glossism, i.e., the literary exigencies of color, fun, and satire.
1986, Henry Kahane, Renée Kahane, Graeca et Románica scripta selecta - Volume 3, →ISBN, page 196Glossism is frequently seen when someone asks, “What's the sign for ___?” and, in response, someone unhesitatingly demonstrates a sign.
2001, Dennis Cokely, “Interpreting culturally rich realities: Research implications for successful interpretation”, in Journal of InterpretationIn addition, linguistics has made a further step from the tongue to the ear: The science of the sounds of language, phonology, has left behind all linguism or glossism and has moved from the voice, phoné to the ear, ous, otòs in Greek, to the so-called auditive or acoustic phonology which I would like to call acroamatic phonoloy or oto-phonology.
2010, Herder Yearbook: Publications of the International Herder Society
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Cite this entry
glossism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glossism
“glossism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glossism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “glossism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glossism.
Source: glossism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.