just saw a video by the etymology nerd on youtube, where he talks about how words can be place on a grid with many axes, each axis define the value of that word within a specific context, so like man and king are in the same general position in terms of gender, but would be in different in terms of like ranking or smth, and in this fashion of axes, a word can be given a value and coordinate. this also follows that one should be able to subtract the technically-not-negative parts for slurs or insults, so like removing the word black and and its connections from the connotation thereof where it is offensive. in this way, the word you should be left with is solely the negativity you're conveying, and doesn't include extraneous factors, like 'black' just being a color, or 'black' being usable to mean anything else. unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, these words aren't really real, since this is purely a mathematical concept; if we can play with numbers that are placed on a grid, we can play with words that are placed on a grid and assigned numbers, but if we compute a number that doesn't have a word assigned to it, well, it's kinda only a thing in theory. obviously this goes for more than just insults, but ykwim. I find this kinda interesting, and i also just like the concept that the **True Word** for what you're conveying is this concept that exists without form, almost like how in the Inheritance Cycle, the true name of the language of magic is this inaudible word that is spoken but never heard, but every magic-adjacent creature just kind of *knows* it's been spoken. like imagine you get pissed at some guy, so you shout decide to shout **The Eigenslur** at him, a word which perfectly conveys everything you dislike about him in that moment, and as you speak it, the man shudders as he feels the weight of what has been said, a ripple being sent across the fabric of all language, instilling a primordial sense of dread to those which it applies, a word completely inaudible, but acts upon its victims perfectly and precisely. idk, just kinda cool concept ig
