[identity profile] miss-daizy.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] 1word1day
From [livejournal.com profile] miss_daizy's “I didn't know there was a word for that” files.

illeism - (n)

The practice of referring to oneself as "he" or "she", or by one's name

n. illeist
Adj. illeistic

Etymology

Pretty straight forward. From the Latin ille, he, + -ism.
Its first citation is from 1809–10:

"For one piece of egotism … there are fifty that steal out in the mask of tuisms and ille-isms."
(Coleridge Friend (1818) I. 36 )

Usage:

If Elaine had known about Jimmy's tendency to illeism she would never have ended up going out with him.

Common culprits:

Elmo
Parents and toddlers
The Big Lebowski
Joe Biden
Bob Dole
Facebook users

(no subject)

Date: 2010-01-28 12:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jesuslovesbono.livejournal.com
Jesuslovesbono didn't know that Biden or Dole did that.
Page generated Jun. 24th, 2025 07:14 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios