hapax
- noun
- /ˈhæpæks/
- Specialized
:
hapax
- In linguistic studies, a hapax is a rare occurrence, such as a word that appears only once in a particular text.
- hapax legomena
Examples
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For whereas hapax legomena only occur once, doublets occur elsewhere, thus enabling comparisons with other texts.
Academic text (2007) -
Doublets are far more useful for biblical exegesis than hapax legomena.
Academic text (2007) -
The lexis of poem 105 is also unusual; the several hapax legomena ("scavezza," "assottiglia," "disdetto") add color without lowering the tone.
Academic text (2003) -
However, it is not difficult to find evidence confirming that the practicalist view explicitly formulated in Philosophy and Democracy is not a hapax legomenon, and that, consequently, it is highly plausible that Dewey has in mind something of this sort when jotting down his lecture notes.
Academic text (2017) -
The scholar identified several hapax legomena in the manuscript, highlighting the unique vocabulary used by the author.
-
When analyzing poetry, critics often point out hapax legomena to emphasize unusual word choices that enrich the text.
Synonyms
A word or expression that appears only once in a text
Compounds
How Often
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hapax comes from a Greek word hapax that means 'once' or 'one time'. Scholars use it, often in the phrase hapax legomenon, for a word that appears only once in a text, so a hapax is a word you find just one time.