I've translated sentence
'Life is aimless.'
using a dictionary. But the first what came on my mind was
'Life is finishless.'
But I haven't found anything on internet, it seems almost like no one else had this idea before.
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3The word that you are looking for may be endless.– MickCommented Nov 14, 2016 at 15:35
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3Actually, I suspect the word OP is looking for is pointless. But the erroneous conflation of finish = termination and aim, end, point = purpose could be resolved using a dictionary.– FumbleFingersCommented Nov 14, 2016 at 15:45
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He wants to know if such a word exists.– V.V.Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 15:50
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I can't see why you people don't tell others the truth about how different writers and other people create new words. This word doesn't exist but I don't see why it shouldn't. It is a good word.– SovereignSunCommented Nov 14, 2016 at 15:51
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3SovereignSun - Finishless isn't a word. Just because authors may be found creating words, you should not advise people who are learning English to do the same.– Tom BCommented Nov 14, 2016 at 15:53
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2 Answers
It is quite easy in the English language to create words, following some patterns, especially by adding suffixes: -ish, -y, -less, -ness, -hood etc.
However, these words are not proper English when they are not documented in the dictionaries. They are sometimes used by people in speech, when they (the people) do not find the proper word quickly, in order to be able to continue speaking - and be understood by the other person(s).
- Life is
finishless.
can be rewritten with another proper word instead of "finishless":
- Life is endless.
However, the meaning of sentence 2 is radically different from the meaning of sentence 3 below:
- Life is aimless.
A similar meaning with 3 has sentence 4:
- Life is pointless.
English is very flexible, yet it's better not to create new words and use synonyms instead. You can add 'less' to most anything you want and it will be understood in most cases but it's something not common and something you've just come up with.
- finishless - would certainly mean: doesn't have an ending; is incompletable; is unaccomplishable; doesn't have a final stage/part; cannot be finished.
As you can see I've used words that don't exist in English, yet I guess 99% will understand me.
You could say: trueless, eatless, pieceless, getless, goneless and e.t.c and in most cases many people would understand you through context but it isn't good to do so. Yet, many sci-fiction writers did so.
answered Nov 14, 2016 at 15:46
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4I'd like to enumerate all the bad guidance given in this answer, but that might be a finishless task.– J.R. ♦Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 16:40
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