Definition of Definition

Abstract

There is an inseparable link between human existence and communication. Words are exchanged externally through all forms of communication, but in reality, what is exchanged there is its driving force: the meaning. For this reason, it is significant to know the meaning of a word. Although the meaning of a word is determined by its definition, the existence of a set of definitions for a single word raises a fundamental problem for us, the researchers whether it could be so. Based on that, this study was conducted with the primary objective of finding the definition of definition. The contextual nature of the study, language used to collect data and the time frame limited the researchers to use qualitative reasoning and literary sources. The study confirmed that scholars are in a constant struggle for more than two millennia in searching a way to find the meaning of a word. We found that the generation of new knowledge sometimes might be hampered by a gap in the existing knowledge on language and the inability to reach certain sources of knowledge. Referring to rarely referred local literary sources, we could conclude the definition of a definition while introducing a novel approach on verifying available literary information. Thus, the academia is aided, as the authors fostered novel ways of questioning the definition of the definition, which would help the scholars to set conceptual and operational definitions in their respective researches.         

KEYWORDS:  Definition, Inner Form, Nirukti, Sound of a Word, Verifying Information