'Pataphysics - Etymology

Etymology

The word pataphysics is a contracted formation, derived from the Greek, ἔπι (μετὰ τὰ φυσικά) (epi meta ta physika); this phrase or expression means "that which is above metaphysics", and is itself a sly variation on the title of Aristotle's Metaphysics, which in Greek is "τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά" (ta meta ta physika).

Jarry mandated the inclusion of the apostrophe in the orthography "to avoid a simple pun". The words pataphysician or pataphysicist and the adjective pataphysical should not include the apostrophe. Only when consciously referring to Jarry's science itself should the word pataphysics carry the apostrophe. The term pataphysics is a paronym (considered a kind of pun in French) of metaphysics. Since the apostrophe in no way affects the meaning or pronunciation of pataphysics, this spelling of the term is a sly notation, to the reader, suggesting a variety of puns that listeners may hear, or be aware of. These puns include French: patte à physique ("leg of physics"), as interpreted by Jarry scholars Keith Beaumont and Roger Shattuck, French: pas ta physique ("not your physics"), and French: pâte à physique ("physics pastry dough").