In our private language game we had, it seemed, given a name to an impression, – in order, of course, to use it || the name for this impression in the future. The def., that is, should have determined on future occasions for what impressions to use the word ‘red’ || name & for which not to use it. Now we said that on certain occasions we were inclined after having given the def. we did use the word and on other we didn't not; but we described these

occasions only by saying that we had ‘certain impressions’ that is we didn't describe them at all. The only thing that characterized them was that we used such & such words. What seemed ¤ this language game to be a definition didn't play the role of a def. at all, it did not justify one subsequent use of the word and all that remains of our || your || one's private language game is therefore that I ¤ sometimes without justifying my particular reason write a word || the word ‘red’ into my diary – without any justification whatever.

(2015–) Wittgenstein Source Bergen Nachlass Edition (WS-BNE). Edited by the Wittgenstein Archives at the University of Bergen under the direction of Alois Pichler. In: Wittgenstein Source, curated by Alois Pichler (2009–) and Joseph Wang-Kathrein (2020–). (N) Bergen: WAB.