zakócone

Zakócone is a fictional term used in speculative linguistics and narrative theory to describe a category of discourse units in which a core message is enclosed within an outer protective or obfuscating layer. The term was coined by literary theorist Mara Németh in 2023 as part of a thought experiment on framing in communication.

Definition and concept: A zakócone unit consists of two layers: an outer "zakó" frame and an inner content. The outer layer serves as a narrative jacket that constrains interpretation, signals audience expectations, or frames the inner content. The inner content may be explicit or implicit, depending on the degree of concealment implied by the outer layer.

Classification: Soft zakócone — partial concealment with legible inner content; hard zakócone — full concealment of inner content, requiring external cues to access; mixed forms exist where the outer frame evolves over time.

Applications: Used to analyze literature, film, and digital media that employ framing, censorship, or nested storytelling. In computational linguistics, zakócone structures can model how information flow is gated by discourse layers.

Examples and reception: The concept has been applied in readings of controversial or morally sensitive narratives to examine how audience interpretation is shaped by framing devices. Critics note that the utility of zakócone analysis depends on clear typologies and careful separation from general framing theory.

See also: framing (narrative), metafiction, censorship, discourse analysis.