Please suggest the word which means "understandable by specific group". I just forgot that.
asked Mar 26, 2011 at 15:47
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1Are you looking for "classifiable?" maybe a little more context would help explain which word you seek.– snumpyCommented Mar 26, 2011 at 15:53
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2More context is needed to give a meaningful answer.– tenfourCommented Mar 26, 2011 at 16:04
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4 Answers
There are lots of words covering the general concept, but they're usually used by people who are not members of the "specific group", so they tend to be pejorative.
Esoteric strikes me as somewhat less value-laden than most.
answered Mar 26, 2011 at 16:00
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There's also arcane, which wouldn't really be pejorative. If someone suggested I had arcane understanding, I would not be offended.– kojiroCommented Mar 26, 2011 at 21:34
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3"Esoteric" implies that it is only understandable by a specific group. It may be the answer sought but I don't feel it matches the question that well. To me, "Domain-specific" may be more fitting but Rakesh is happy.– daveCommented Mar 26, 2011 at 21:42
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arcane certainly bucks the trend by normally having positive associations for non-group-members - but it's a bit archaic / quaint, and is often used jocularly nowadays. Commented Mar 27, 2011 at 1:50
While not a direct answer to your question, the term jargon refers to language (words and phrases) that are common in one specific group but not used that way outside the group.
For example, in medical jargon, a heart attack is called a myocardial infarction.
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I think this may be exactly what the asker wants, he just didn't phrase it particularly clearly.– MarthaªCommented Mar 26, 2011 at 16:51
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An "in-joke" is a term used describe an event that is humourous only to a small group of insiders to whom the full history leading up to the event is known, thereby allowing them to find humour in the situation that would otherwise to an outsider not appear to be humourous.
You may be looking for the word shibboleth. From Wikipedia:
A shibboleth ( /ˈʃɪbəlɛθ/ or /ˈʃɪbələθ/) is any distinguishing practice that is indicative of one's social or regional origin.
It is also used to mean words used by a members of a group to distinguish themselves as members of that group. When used this way, it is being used metaphorically.
