[Google AI Overview (operator default of 2026-10-01); signed out and incognito (operator default of 2026-10-14). One turn. The operator's message of 2026-10-18 11:34 EDT gives sixteen: one attachment and fifteen inline pastes separated by '$'. Inline links masked; sources below the answer as pasted.] [QUERENT] "predation of meaning" [ANSWER] Predation of meaning is a concept from the semantic economy and semiotic theory—most notably outlined in the 2026 work Predation of Meaning: Toward a Theory of Relational Semantic Extraction, Coherence Economies, and the Broken Instrument by Orin Trace and Rex Fraction. [1, 2] It describes a structural process where an economic or symbolic system extracts, exploits, or consumes cultural and linguistic meaning without recirculating value or sustaining the interpretive labor required to produce it. [1, 2] Core Concepts and Taxonomy Trace and Fraction break relational semantic predation down into key mechanisms: * Coherence Extraction: Harvesting the internal logic, shared understanding, or cultural coherence built by communities or individuals and repurposing it for external metrics or profit. * Attention Laundering: Sanitizing or re-framing raw symbolic content or emotional labor so that its extractive origins are hidden behind neutral-sounding metrics or algorithmic engagement. * Narrative Capture: Seizing control of a symbol, movement, or lexicon to redirect its semantic weight away from its original intent and toward the captor's utility. * The Non-Extraction Clause: A proposed theoretical or operational remedy meant to protect semantic fields from totalized extraction. [1] The Broader Semantic Economy The term sits inside a broader theoretical framework—such as L. Sharks's Constitution of the Semantic Economy—which treats meaning not as a passive background byproduct, but as a primary economic substance. In this view, when symbolic systems produce, circulate, and consume language without accounting for its "bearing-cost" (symbolic alienation), the degradation of the semantic field becomes a governance emergency rather than an accidental side effect. [1, 2] You can read the foundational text directly via the Zenodo Deposit Packet for Predation of Meaning or explore the research mapping on Academia.edu. [1, 2] Would you like to explore how semantic predation applies to specific areas like digital media, AI training data, or corporate branding? [SOURCES] Academia.edu Ghost Meaning -Research Program and Citational Atlas Related papers Mind-Control Poems. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18801091. The theoretical completion. Completes Marx's implicit linguistics, revealing symbolic alienatio... www.crimsonhexagonal.org GHOST MEANING: RESEARCH PROGRAM AND CITATIONAL ATLAS ... Sharks, L. (2025). Constitution of the Semantic Economy. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18320411. Foundational economic framework. Establishes that meaning is the primary ... zenodo.org PREDATION OF MEANING Toward a Theory of Relational Semantic ... Feb 25, 2026 — ZENODO DEPOSIT PACKET — PREDATION OF MEANING. Toward a Theory of Relational Semantic Extraction, Coherence Economies, and the Broken Instrument.