gignomenon means "Becoming," as opposed to "Being"; a phenomenon considered as occurrence rather than appearance. It carries an Arena rating of 1506, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, gignomenon ranks #155 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #164 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,790 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #1,793 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words.
Why “gignomenon” is a great word
A thing in the process of coming into being, apprehended in its fleeting, transient unfolding. Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek γιγνόμενον (gignómenon, 'thing which is becoming'), the neuter present middle participle of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, 'I become, am born'). Unlike *ontos*, which denotes the solid, permanent bedrock of true being, or the general *phenomenon*, which neutrally names any observable event, *gignomenon* captures the shimmering, unstable moment of transition itself. It is the bud straining to unfurl at dawn, the shifting expression on a face in conversation, the precise quality of light in the instant before sunset—a quiet testament that to exist is not to be, but to become.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek γιγνόμενον (gignómenon, “thing which is becoming”), neuter present middle participle of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I become”). Compare Timaeus 38B: τό τε γεγονὸς εἶναι γεγονὸς καὶ τὸ γιγνόμενον εἶναι γιγνόμενον, ἔτι τε τὸ γενησόμενον εἶναι γενησόμενον (tó te gegonòs eînai gegonòs kaì tò gignómenon eînai gignómenon, éti te tò genēsómenon eînai genēsómenon, “what is become is become, and what is becoming is becoming, and what is about to become is about to become”) (translated by Bernadotte Perrin)
noun
- "Becoming," as opposed to "Being"; a phenomenon considered as occurrence rather than appearance.
- By extension, that which is ephemeral or inessential.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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