mikhail epstein's definitions

lovedom

lovedom n love + suffix dom; cf. kingdom, stardom Ð the world of love, the totality of loving emotions and attitudes.

Edward VIII was that rare romantic who challenged society by trading his kingdom for lovedom.

Your heart is large enough to love many, but in all your lovedom, can you find a small corner for me?

by Mikhail Epstein November 6, 2003

traf (verb, from "traffic")

traf v (back-formation from traffic) - to drive in heavy traffic, to be held in traffic, to trail in slow traffic.

Back-formation is the creation of a simpler or shorter form from a pre-existing more complex form: "edit" from "editor," "intuit from intuition."
Now, "traf" from "traffic."

I traffed for an hour before I could get home.
I've been traffing for two hours before I could even stop by a gas station to have a cup of coffee.

by Mikhail Epstein November 8, 2003

egonetics

egonetics, n. (ego+net+ics)

weaving a network of self-references, increasing one's presence on the interne.

Egonetics is different from "ego surfing" - a search of your name on the internet (using search engines). Egonetics is an active electronic dispersal of your name, making links to your homepage, using various interactive sites and open forums. It can be done for the sake of an idea or a commercial promotion, but in the absence of ideological or professional motifs, this is a clear case of egonetics.

I am afraid that my colleague uses her office hours for egonetics.

He is not an egoist in the classical sense, he is simply an egonetic.

by Mikhail Epstein November 16, 2003

chronocracy

chronocracy n (Greek khronos, time + Greek kratia, power or rule) Ð rule by the laws of time and by the force of temporality; a form of government based on the recognition of time constraints on any form of power and the necessity for periodic change of leaders and transfer of powers on all levels. Under chronocracy, the social life is determined by the regular replacement of political, scientific, economic, and cultural trends, methods, fashions, and personnel in measured periods of time. Presidents, computers, car models, artistic trends, dress cuts, schoool textbookss, etc. have to change periodically to maintain their authoritative status as "new."

Is America a democracy and what does the term "demos" mean as applied to contemporary societies? No doubt, however, that America is a chronocracy, with a rigid system of enforced change on all levels, from political leaders to dress fashions and technological designs.

by Mikhail Epstein November 13, 2003

chronomaniac

chronomaniac n (Gr. khronos, time + Gr. mania, obsession, madness; cf. nymphomaniac) - a person obsessed with time and speed; one who attempts to live faster and to control time expenditure up to the smallest units.

He is a chronomaniac. He looks at his watch every minute.

by Mikhail Epstein November 9, 2003

domestican

domestican n Latin domesticus, belonging to the household, from domus, house - someone who preaches the values of domestic life, worships the deities of hearth and home.

He is a sort of a monk, though his monastery is his own house. In a word, he is a domestican.

A typical domestican hates public spaces. Hu prefers hus kitchen and living room to all attractions in the world.

by Mikhail Epstein November 6, 2003

chronocide

chronocide n (Greek khronos, time + Latin cidum, from caedere, to slay; cf. genocide, homicide, parricide) - the murder of time, the violent interruption of historical succession and continuity.

Any revolution is a form of chronocide: the past and present are sacrificed to the future. Any counterrevolution is also a chronocide: the present and the future are sacrificed to the past.

Communism is a chronocide: it destroys the tradition in its leap to the ungrounded future.

Fascism is a chronocide: it brings the society under the spell of the archaic past.

by Mikhail Epstein November 9, 2003