înelegere

înelegere is a term used in sociolinguistics and communication studies to describe a persistent form of misinterpretation that arises when senders and receivers rely on different interpretive frames. The concept is not universally adopted, but it appears in discussions of cross-cultural and cross-language communication as a way to conceptualize systematic misunderstandings that are not reducible to a single error in language.

Etymology and origins: The term is a neologism with uncertain origins. Its form suggests a negation or reversal prefix combined with a root implying reading, interpretation, or gathering meaning. It has circulated primarily in online discourse and some scholarly writings since the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Characteristics and mechanisms: înelegere typically emerges in situations involving digital communication, multilingual collaboration, or specialized jargon. Contributing factors include divergent cultural norms, unequal domain knowledge, and cognitive biases that influence interpretation. The phenomenon persists even when surface signals such as grammar, vocabulary, and syntax are accurate, because the mismatch lies in deeper frames of reference.

Criticism and relationship to other concepts: Some scholars treat înelegere as a distinct category of miscommunication, while others argue it overlaps with established concepts such as misinterpretation, pragmatics, polysemy, and frame theory. Critics call for clearer definitions and operational criteria for empirical study.

Practical implications: Addressing înelegere involves increasing contextualization, defining terms explicitly, providing exemplars, and incorporating iterative feedback to align interpretive frames across participants.