Talk:sideroxylon

sideroxylon definition

I believe that the provided definition is incorrect and not associated with an oxymoron. When used figuratively, it refers to an unbreakable and enduring strength and resilience, reflecting its literal meaning of the ironwood tree. Wordmavin (talk) 19:51, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

@Wordmavin: Any evidence for this claim? Equinox ◑ 19:58, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

I cannot find any extant sources for the use of sideroxylon as a metaphorical representation of strength and resilience. My interpretation comes from the literal botanical definition of the word as "ironwood" such that any metaphorical usage would reflect the physical properties of the literal meaning of the word (i.e., "strength" and "resilience"). Upon further reflection, and given the lack of usage evidence, it is quite possible that this interpretation is inappropriate, in a strict linguistic sense. However, I don't personally believe that its usage in this context would necessarily be inappropriate as a neologism, and for a writer seeking a novel way to express the idea of strength and resilience, this might offer an opportunity to coin a new usage of the word. But given its to-date lack of usage in this manner, it's probably not appropriate for Wiktionary to use this defintion.

However, the citing in Wiktionary for the term being defined as "oxymoron" and classified as a rhetorical term appears to also have no extant sources of use, and has no direct linguistic connection to sideoxylon that I can find.

I did, however, track down an indirect connection. "Wooden iron" is a polemical term (thus, its connection with rhetoric) used to describe the impossibility of an opposing argument due to an inherent or direct contradiction in terms (a contradictio in adjecto), a type of so-called oxymoron. This type of contradiction occurs when the modifying adjective contradicts its noun, as found in the term wooden (organic) iron (inorganic). This term appears to have its first use from the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer in "The World as Will and Representation." His usage is applied not just to the adjective/noun direct relationship, but more broadly to any statement, concept, or belief that is inherently contradictory. Later, Friedrich Nietzsche also appears to have used this term with the same meaning.

It appears that "sideroxylon" (ironwood) has been misapplied to "wooden iron." Although both terms refer to "iron" and "wood," they have no apparent linguistic connection. Schopenhauer's usage was referring to "wooden" and "iron" as two distinct properties or objects, and not as the single word, "ironwood" referring to the tree. So applying wooden iron to sideroxylon appears to be frivolous, and not backed by any usage in print that I could find. As a result, and unless it can be shown that the two terms are linked, I would suggest that this definition be removed from Wiktionary.

As an aside, I see that wooden iron is not yet a defined term in Wiktionary, and probably should be, as it has both a traceable linguistic history, and it's a pretty interesitng and apt use of the term.

I hope this better clarifies my original posting. Wordmavin (talk) 19:51, 22 May 2024 (UTC)