- “Mentalese” is most likely to be used in psychology, neuroscience, or cognitive science contexts, or in a context of a related field of study. Thus, someone might complain about excessive use of mentalese in explaining an otherwise simple concept.
Mentalese
derivation noun
convoluted language pertaining to the mind that uses specific terms and precise definitions
Etymology : Mentalese is formed from the adjective “mental” and the derivational suffix “-ese” which is most commonly used to form adjectives pertaining to particular people and places, such as “Japanese,” “Chinese,” “Viennese,” etc. Adding “-ese” to some words connotes a specific jargon: legalese refers to convoluted legal language, and mentalese refers to convoluted language pertaining to the mind that uses specific terms and precise definitions.
Source : “Where do the rules and representations in mentalese leave off and the neural networks begin?” (quoted from How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker)
Last modified: 3 December 2016