Underpublishing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Publishing too few books, articles, or other works, or giving a subject or group less printed coverage than it deserves
2. The act or condition of issuing too little published material compared with what is needed or expected
3. Failing to bring out enough printed or published works, leaving certain authors, topics, or voices underrepresented

Etymology: "Underpublishing" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "under-", meaning "too little" or "insufficiently", attached to "publishing," the gerund of "publish." The pattern is productive in English, so the same logic lets speakers produce "underfunding," "undercooking," or "underreporting" without any of them being separately coined. The "under-" prefix itself goes back to Old English, where it was used in compounds such as "underþeodan" ("to subject"), and it has long been used to mean "below" or "insufficient." "Publish," the base verb, entered English in the late 14th century from Old French "publier," which came from Latin "publicare" ("to make public"). "Underpublishing" is a modern, recent formation rather than an old word, and dictionaries record it mainly in discussions of scholarly, literary, or academic output, where a writer or field is said to be producing too little in print. Its exact first date of use is uncertain.