MooT Question Icon
According to the Wikipedia, it was coined by Andy Nimmo in December 1960 for a talk on the Everett many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics. It originally denoted: ""an apparent universe, a multiplicity of which, go to make up the whole universe."" What word is it?




Etymology, Etymology, and more Etymology
as well as grammar, usage, euphemism, slang, jargon, semantics (meaning), linguistics, neologism, idiom, word origin, syntax, dialect, lexicon (vocabulary), diction, pidgin, synonym, antonym, homonym, cant, argot, lingo, and redundancy.


A picture of a moot game

The critically-acclaimed board game MooT consists of tough questions about the nuances of the English language.
To join our mailing list and get free brain-twisting MooT questions sent to you irregularly, enter your email address and then press submit.

E-Mail address:




Back to home page



Answer: multiverse

According to the Caltech Knowledge-base for Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology ? http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ ? the word multiverse denotes a: Hypothetical enlargement of the cosmos in which our Universe is but one of an enormous number of separate and distinct Universes.

If you think about it, the neologism multiverse introduces some cosmological cognitive dissonance. Doesn't the word Universe denote: "all that there is." Thus a multiverse being another universe is another "all that there is."

A complete explanation of the term multiverse and its etymology can be found in the Wikipedia at: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse


Please note that these are draft questions for the board game MooT.
If you spot an error or disagree with anything I've said here,
please let me know and I'll fix it.
(the Mootguy)

Copyright 1998-2008 Blair Arts Ltd. All rights reserved.