emanata means unrealistic pictorial elements emanating from a character, symbolizing something about that character, such as a sweatdrop for anxiety or a question mark for confusion, or emanating from an object, such as heat rays from the sun. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
Why this word is great
EMANATA — [Noun] Conventionalized, non-representational graphic elements that flow from a cartoon character to depict a subjective state, such as sweat beads for anxiety, wavy lines for heat, or stink lines for odor. From Latin ēmānāre (“to flow out”), from ex- (“out”) + mānō (“to flow, give out”). The term was coined in English as a noun by cartoonist Mort Walker. Unlike “grawlix,” which codifies only profane outbursts, or “pictogram,” which denotes a self-contained representational sign, emanata are the abstract, radiating grammar of inner life. They are the jagged red haze of rage, the delicate coils of stink wafting from a forgotten lunch, and the frantic dust swirls of a character frozen mid-panic—a silent, universal language for the noisy interior of beings drawn in ink.
noun
- Unrealistic pictorial elements emanating from a character, symbolizing something about that character, such as a sweatdrop for anxiety or a question mark for confusion, or emanating from an object, such as heat rays from the sun.“Now that we have our characters, there's a lot more we can do with them to show what's going on inside them. Those of you who believe in mental telepathy should not be at all surprised at the things cartoonists have emanating from their characters.”