A language for qualia: on verbal influence of the phenomenal
The explanatory gap—the difficulty of fully describing subjective sensory experiences in words—can be re-framed as the relative ineffability of phenomenal properties. This paper argues that such experiences can be communicated verbally through a special type of discursive unit called a phenomeme, which references relational properties of sensory experiences. The analysis suggests that phenomenal contents are not absolutely ineffable but can be conveyed via these units, which constitute a narrative dimension. The work highlights potential applications for pragmatics, cognitive stylistics, and other language-related fields.