Meta (prefix)

Meta (Greek: μετά = "after", "beyond"), is a common English prefix, used to indicate a concept which is an abstraction from another concept, used to analyze the latter. For example "metaphysics" refers to things beyond physics, and "meta language" refers to a type of language or system which describes language.

In epistemology, the prefix meta- is used to mean about (its own category). For example, metadata are data about data (who has produced it, when, what format the data are in and so on). Similarly, metamemory in psychology means an individual's knowledge about whether or not they would remember something if they concentrated on recalling it. Any subject can be said to have a meta-theory, which is the theoretical consideration of its foundations and methods.

Another, slightly different interpretation of this term is "about" but not "on". For example, a grammar is considered as a metalanguage, a meta-answer is not a real answer but a reply, such as: "this is not a good question", "I suggest to ask your professor". Here, we have such concepts as meta-reasoning and meta-knowledge.

From the Hypercomputing Dictionary: A prefix meaning 'one layer of information removed'. If X is some concept then meta-X is "data about or processes operating on X". The dual directionality of meta can be illustrated in the concept of an 'explanation'. If someone says, "what does that mean?" one can offer them either a definition and explanation or an example - either are accepted.

In organic chemistry, "meta" (along with "ortho" and "para") is used to distinguish the three types of isomer of disubstituted benzenes: it indicates that the substituents are at locants 1 and 3. It is printed in italic type, and is often abbreviated as m in compound names. For example, the compound name meta-xylene is equivalent to m-xylene.

Etymology

The prefix is derived by back-formation from the Ancient Greek preposition and prefix meta- (μετά) which meant either "after" or "beside". This prefix occurred in the name of one part of Aristotle's works, the metaphysics, which originally meant simply "(the parts that come) after physics". The title was later understood to mean "(that which is) beyond physics", and meta- was thus re-analysed as meaning "beyond".

Quine and Hofstadter

The OED cites uses of the meta- prefix as "beyond, about" (such as meta-economics and meta-philosophy) going back to 1917. However, these formations are directly parallel to the original "metaphysics" and "metaphysical", that is, as a prefix to general nouns (fields of study) or adjectives. Going by the OED citations, it began to be used with specific nouns in connection with mathematical logic sometime before 1929. A notable early citation is Quine's 1937 use of the word "metatheorem", where meta- clearly has the modern meaning of "an X about X" (Note that earlier uses of "meta-economics" and even "metaphysics" do not have this doubled conceptual structure, they are about or beyond X but they do not constitute an X). Note also that this modern meaning allows for self-reference, since if something is about the category to which it belongs, it can be about itself; it is therefore no coincidence that we find Quine, a mathemetician interested in self-reference, using it.

Douglas Hofstadter, in his 1979 book Gödel, Escher, Bach, popularized this meaning of the term. This book, which deals extensively with self-reference and touches on Quine and his work, was influential in many computer-related subcultures, and is probably largely responsible for the popularity of the prefix, for its use as a solo term, and for the many recent coinages which use it. Hofstadter uses the meta as a stand-alone word, both as an adjective and as a directional preposition ("going meta", a term he coins for the old rhetorical trick of taking a debate or analysis to another level of abstraction, as in "This debate isn't going anywhere."). This book is also probably responsible for the direct association of "meta" with self-reference, as opposed to just abstraction. The sentence "This sentence contains thirty six letters." along with the sentence it is embedded in are examples of sentences that reference themselves in this way.

The Metacorder

The Metacorder is a theoretical device described in the short story of the same name by Tristan Parker. As the story describes, the Metacorder is a computational device which does nothing other than monitoring its own activities. While in practice this would result in an endless loop similar to the print "print" quine, the story takes this idea and gives it a sort of intelligence which allows the Metacorder to consider and judge its own actions.

This is an example of constrained writing, both in that the story describes a single object over the course of several pages, and that it is done entirely in the voice of such an object being described. This double rule allows much playfulness, however, and the story ranges from realistic technical descriptions to vague, poetic musings while still keeping the same voice throughout.

Words using the term 'meta' or 'meta-'

Common uses include:

Etymology

Quine and Hofstadter

The Metacorder

Words using the term 'meta' or 'meta-'

See also