Definition & Meaning of "hapax legomenon"

What is a "hapax legomenon"?

A hapax legomenon is a word or expression that appears only once within a particular context, such as a written text or a specific body of literature. This term is often used in linguistic and literary studies to refer to words that do not occur elsewhere in the language or corpus being analyzed. For example, if a unique word is found in a poem but does not appear in any other texts by the same author or in any other literature, it is considered a hapax legomenon. The study of hapax legomena can provide insights into language evolution, authorial style, and the development of meaning over time, as these unique terms may reveal specific cultural or contextual references that are not otherwise represented.