Hapax Legomenon Definition

hāpăks lĭ-gŏmə-nŏn
hapax-legomenon, hapax-legomena
noun
A word or phrase occurring only once, as in a text or in the written record of a language.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Hapax Legomenon

Noun

Singular:
hapax legomenon
Plural:
hapax-legomena

Origin of Hapax Legomenon

  • From Ancient Greek ἅπαξ λεγόμενον (hapaks legomenon, “(something) said only once”), from ἅπαξ (hapaks, “once”) and λεγόμενον (legomenon), passive participle of λέγω (legō).

    From Wiktionary

  • Greek hapax once legomenon neuter sing. passive participle of legein to count, say

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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