“Runcible” is a nonsense word invented by Edward Lear in 1871. As with all neologisms, Lear’s runcible has no prior etymological history which can be traced. When Lear uses this word it forms a semantic gap within the poetry which can never be satisfactorily resolved by the reader – Though the word seems to suggest a meaning, we have no idea what. The nonsensicality of this word is further compounded when used by Lear through various texts as an adjective to describe disparate nouns…a runcible spoon, raven, cat, wall, hat and goose.
This ongoing series explores Lear's runcible through a variety of disparate situations, scenarios, possible and impossible visual contexts. Through this continual process of contextual shifting the word suggests a multitude of meanings which conflict or contradict. The word runcible becomes an enigmatic mark which cannot be categorized or defined – runcible means both this and that and neither this nor that. The result is nonsense.
