Energy

as 'working into'

Morphological Analysis

Etymon: Ancient Greek enérgeia: 'working into'
Morpheme breakdown: en- + érge + -ia → 'working in, into or on'
Functional cognate: karma: 'work'

Info: Lexicology of *energy* The word *energy* stems from the Ancient Greek word ἐνέργειᾰ (en.érge.ia) and because there is no suffix *-eia* in Greek (only Latin) the base clipping is rendered as *érge* from *ergḗs*: 'working' and not *erg* from *ergon*: 'work'. The prefix *en-* means 'in, into or on' and the suffix *-ia* denotes the word as feminine. Thus taken as transliterated, *energy* means 'working in, into or on' and by extension 'action to work in, into or on'.

Essential Definition

The immanent activity and process of actualizing potential within an entity or system, understood as the condition of 'working into'.

Semantic Context

Conventional sense: A being's strength, vitality, or enthusiasm for being active. (Note: Semantic drift from essential meaning)
Essential meaning (my usage): working into

Philosophical Significance

Defining energy as 'working into' shifts its meaning from a static, quantifiable resource to an active and inherent condition of being. This framing restores a classical philosophical perspective where energy is understood as the immanent activity and actualization of potential within entities. It emphasizes process and manifestation over mere capacity, aligning the concept more closely with its original ontological roots.

Usage in This Lexicon

When I use the word energy in my work, I mean exactly 'working into'. This enables:

Grammatical Precision: Highlights the origin of the term as an adjectival form describing a state of action, not a nominalized object.
Philosophical Alignment: Connects the concept to a classical understanding of an inherent and active principle within entities.
Dynamic Connotation: Preserves the sense of continual operation or being "at work" inherent in the etymology.
Anti-Reification: Presents the concept as a descriptive attribute of systems, discouraging its treatment as a discrete substance or commodity.
Focus on Manifestation: Shifts emphasis from potential to the active expression and presence of work or effect.
Semantic Nuance: Captures the qualitative meaning of "working into" as a process or condition, rather than a quantifiable resource.

Sources

Wiktionary

This definition follows morphological essentialism principles. See [[Methodology]] for details.