Contenu

/kɔ̃təˈnu/ noun

Definition

The substance or content of something, especially in philosophical or artistic contexts; what is contained.

Etymology

From French contenu, from Latin contentum (things contained), past participle of continere (to hold together). Used primarily in French and occasionally in English philosophy.

Kelly Says

This French word sneaked into English philosophical discourse and never quite left—structuralists and semioticians love using it to distinguish between content and form, keeping alive a medieval distinction between what something says and how it's packaged.

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