naming new concepts

Every act of naming is an alteration of our intellectual topography. It is as important as the discovery itself, since a badly named new concept can significantly delay future discoveries involving that concept.

A signifier can never entirely encapsulate the meaning of its signified, but it can jump-start a trail of suggestions that sequentially unravels the meaning.

A good name should lead to apt associations and metaphors. It should also fit nicely within the already existing constellation of names given to nearby concepts. (It should be distinct in a way that suggests its signified's difference.)