occurredeither

Occurredeither is a neologism used in linguistics and data processing to describe a situation in which the occurrence of an event is tied to one of two possible contexts, with ambiguity about which context is actual. The term blends occurred and either to emphasize dual possibility and the lack of explicit selection in a statement or data sequence.

In linguistics, occurredeither refers to a past event described in a sentence where the exact context is underspecified, leaving it to interpretation whether the event happened under condition A or condition B. It is analyzed to explore how listeners or readers resolve ambiguity, and how discourse structure and reference influence the perceived timing and conditions of the event.

In data processing and event monitoring, occurredeither describes an operator or condition used in event streams where a trigger is activated if event E1 occurs in stream S1 or event E2 occurs in stream S2 within a defined window. This use mirrors a logical OR but is often framed to model time-bound constraints, reliability considerations, or domain-specific reporting rules.

Examples:

- The shipment occurred either on Tuesday or on Wednesday, depending on the time zone of the reporting office.

- A breach is flagged if either sensor A detects a threshold crossing or sensor B detects one within five minutes.

History and status: The term is a contemporary neologism that has appeared in online discussions and theoretical writings about ambiguity, data fusion, and narrative reporting. It has not achieved formal standardization and remains primarily within niche academic or speculative contexts.

See also: ambiguity, disjunction, event processing, narratology.