Semlegessé

Semlegessé is a neologism used in discussions of semiotics, information design, and media studies to describe a state in which information is only partially legible or decipherable. It denotes the condition in which cues needed to interpret a message are incomplete, degraded, or masked, resulting in partial comprehension rather than full understanding.

The term combines the prefix semi- with a root related to reading or legibility, signaling a partial or half-formed reading. It is typically contrasted with full legibility and with complete obscurity; semlegessé emphasizes gradation along the axis of readability rather than binary clarity.

In practice, semlegessé is applied to texts, images, or sounds that can be interpreted only by readers with specific contextual knowledge, tools, or assumptions. Examples include weathered signage, low-resolution digital media, redacted documents, or design that intentionally relies on subtext. In analyses, it helps capture how meaning is distributed unevenly across audiences or modalities.

Criticism: Because it is a relatively new and informal term, there is no universal definition or methodology for measuring semlegessé. Some scholars prefer more established concepts such as ambiguity, opacity, obfuscation, or partial readability.

See also: semiotics, legibility, obscuration, ambiguity, information design. References: The term appears in limited academic discussions and online discourse; it is not yet widely standardized.