Discursativeness

/dɪsˈkɜːrsətɪvnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being discursative; the tendency to move from topic to topic or to digress.

Etymology

From 'discursative' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. It builds on the Latin 'discurrere' to create an abstract noun describing the characteristic of wandering or digressive thought.

Kelly Says

Adding '-ness' to 'discursative' creates a mouthful that almost no one uses anymore—modern English speakers just say 'digressiveness' or 'rambling.' But philosophers and linguists might encounter this in academic texts analyzing thought patterns and rhetorical styles.

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