Fwd: "hapax legomenon, n." - Word of the Day from the OED

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Subject: "hapax legomenon, n." - Word of the Day from the OED
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Your word for today is: hapax legomenon, n.

hapax legomenon, n.
[‘ Chiefly in linguistic and literary studies: a word or word form
which is recorded only once in a text, in the work of a particular
author, or in a body of literature.’]
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌhapaks lᵻˈɡɒmᵻnən/, /ˌhapaks lᵻˈɡɒmᵻnɒn/,  U.S.
/ˌhæpæks ləˈɡɑməˌnɑn/
Inflections:  Pl.  hapax legomena.
Forms:  16 apax legomenon,   17– hapax legomenon.
Etymology: <  Hellenistic Greek ἅπαξ λεγόμενον something that has been
said once <  ancient Greek ἅπαξ once ( < the same Indo-European base
as same adj. + an ablaut variant (zero-grade) of the base of πηγνύναι
to fix, make solid: see pectic adj.) + λεγόμενον, use as noun of
neuter of λεγόμενος, medio-passive present participle of λέγειν to
speak (see lexis n.).
In plural hapax legomena after the Greek plural form.
  Chiefly in linguistic and literary studies: a word or word form
which is recorded only once in a text, in the work of a particular
author, or in a body of literature.
The term has in the past been particularly associated with biblical commentary.
[1654  J. Trapp Comm. Minor Prophets (Zech. xiv. 20) 605 'Tis ἄπαξ
λεγόμενον read only here: and hence this variety of interpretations.]
1692  J. Dunton Young-students-libr. 242/1 There are many words but
once used in Scripture, especially in such a sence, and are called the
Apax legomena.
1774  J. Rhudde Ribband(ed. 3) (Annotations section), The word
‘Ribband’, is of that order, called, hapax legomenon, [h.e. [sic] a
word, found occurring but once] in respect, we mean, of our English
Bible.
1838  W. Jenks Guide to Study Bible i. ii. 6/3 in Suppl. to
Comprehensive Commentary, The ancient versions..must be regarded as
having furnished us with the most important and valuable of all the
subsidiary means, by which to ascertain the sense in cases of hapax
legomena.
1882  F. W. Farrar Early Days Christianity I. xi. 236 The number of
the hapax legomena is remarkable, and some of them are full of
picturesqueness.
1931 Eng. Stud. 13 124 An article that should certainly find a place
in a miscellany in honour of the brave defender of Wulfila as a
translator: Collitz on two hapax legomena in Wulfila's translation.
1957  C. Brooke-Rose Lang. of Love iv. 34 She saw herself go through
the minutiæ of scansion, dialect forms, emendation, haplography, hapax
legomena and anacolutha in Beowulf.
1997  S. B. Morrow Names of Things 26 Commager taught us about the
hapax legomenon, the word that is used only once, that is created for
that occasion only.

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