[Publib] "what is the word for..?" stumper

[South Berwick Public Library]

The word that jumps to my mind is "essence" which is always seen as a
crossword clue - Latin for being.  The answer - esse.

Mamie

Mamie Anthoine Ney
Library Director
South Berwick Public Library
37 Portland Street
P.O. Box 35
South Berwick, ME 03908-0035
207-384-3308 (incl. fax)
mmaney at south-berwick.lib.me.us
www.south-berwick.lib.me.us
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Cipullo" <cipullot at pbclibrary.org>
To: <publib at webjunction.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:54 AM
Subject: [Publib] "what is the word for..?" stumper


here is the question: "What is a word that describes a thing, a state of
being as a thing?"

this was over the phone; the best I could get is that there is a term (not a
literary term) for when you use a state of being to describe a thing.  (he
used the word "thing" a few times.)  He did not have an example, or he did,
but he took it back: "human," when he realized that wasn't what he meant.

he didn't like "eponymous" (which is the name a person to describe a thing).
maybe it's a grammatical term?

so "what do you call it when a term for a state of being is used to describe
a thing?"


(sorry. if I knew of another place to post this I would. I'm just curious to
know if someone knows this.)


tom cipullo
Palm Beach County Library System, Main Library




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