Literary Device Question (a word that defines itself)

Help please....I need help with the name of the literary device used when a word defines itself. An example is the word, "standoffish". I know there is a literary device to describe it, but there are hundreds of literary devices. Please help.

-Lawrence

 

Self-referential? Autological?

 

I think it's a matter of linguistics. Literary devices, as far as I know, mean processes writers employ. If a word has a unique definition, or becomes a gerund or something, we take two full steps into linguistics. Better answer will likely come soon.

 

Autological...That's the word I was looking for. Thank you!!
-Lawrence

 

Autology



Not the clearest concept I've ever read. Maybe if I re-read it in a day or two...

 

I found a different one saying essentially that the definition directly refers to a quality of the word itself. "Short" is a short word. "Categorical" is black and white, while "fluorescent" is bright. I can kinda see how ''standoffish" kinda stands off, with a chip on its shoulder, over by the other cool words....

 

This makes no sense to me - how is "standoffish" standoffish? I don't get it...

 

It's a stretch for me, but it does seem to have some sort of inherent coldness to it, by virtue of its length and the explosive "off.'' But otherwise, I'm leaning 90% no way.

 

Smooth pompous English simply obfuscates mellifluous words.

Thanks GingerCoffee, nice link. (I know this is terrible but I am not Wreybies afterall)

 

Yep. I'm with you on this one. I don't find anything standoffish about standoffish other than its inherent meaning.

Now, magniloquent, on the other hand, is itself a very magniloquent word.