Explanation
The property of communicative acts whereby their performance cannot be made completely undone. It directs attention to the temporality of language: retraction and correction create new acts but do not erase the first.
Example
A publicly uttered insult remains part of the situation even after it is withdrawn.
Counterexample
Merely mentioning “Irreversibility” without the described function is not a sufficient example.
Distinction
Repair can mitigate consequences or correct understanding, but it does not restore the state before the utterance.
Effect on thought and perception
It directs attention to the temporality of language: retraction and correction create new acts but do not erase the first.
Resonance
In the atlas, Irreversibility closes 1 previously unresolved reference line(s) and opens controlled paths of thought.
Etymology
Technical core term; individual etymological review pending
Provenance
ATLAS 241 residual-case triage → profile candidate 241-B → source and neighbourhood cross-check → ATLAS 243
Cite this entry
Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Irreversibility“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-CORE-243-004. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-CORE-243-004The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. A verified modification date per entry is not yet available. Include your access date for precise references.