The Rice University Neologisms Database

The act of confusing and then strategically or surreptitiously destroying an opponent, especially in a video game. The derivation and meaning came about by applying the “pwn to qwn” shift from “p” to “q” process to a Ukrainian word, ponyatiyam (понятіям), that means something like “little understandings” in an action sense, or understandings associated with confusing, unwritten rules of prison culture/corruption/secret dealings. The word was coined to provide a specific 1337 Speak-like term for situations in video games where one confuses or uses highly secretive strategy against their opponent and then destroys them. The first recorded instance of use referred to certain tactics used in the game Perfect Dark by a group of Rice students who play it regularly. The use and understanding of the term is very limited at the moment and probably will not gain much use as an actually 1337 Speak term due to its length and complexity. The formation constitutes a creative nonce derivation to describe a specialized game tactics.