An etymological fallacy is an argument of equivocation, arguing that a word is defined by its etymology, and that its customary usage is therefore incorrect.
History
Ancient Greeks believed that there was a "true meaning" of a word, distinct from common use. There is evidence that a similar belief existed among ancient Vedic scholars. In modern days, this fallacy can be found in some arguments of language purists.
Occurrence and examples
An etymological fallacy becomes possible when a word's meaning shifts over time from its original meaning. Such changes can include a narrowing or widening of scope or a change of connotation (amelioration or pejoration). In some cases, modern usage can shift to the point where the new meaning has no evident connection to its etymon.
Antisemitism
The term antisemitism refers to anti-Jewish beliefs and practices. It replaced the earlier term Jew-hatred. The etymological fallacy arises when a speaker asserts its meaning is the one implied by the structure of the word—racism against any of the Semitic peoples.
See also
- Folk etymology – Process of reinterpretive word formation
- Genetic fallacy – Fallacy in which validity is determined by origin
- Informal fallacy – Form of incorrect argument in natural language
- Persuasive definition – Stipulative, biased definition of a term
References
- ^ Sihler, Andrew (2000). Language History. Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. Series IV, Current issues in linguistic theory. Vol. 191. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing. pp. 131–133. ISBN 90-272-3698-4.
- Wilson, Kenneth G. (1993). "Etymological Fallacy". The Columbia Guide to Standard American English.
- Lipstadt (2019), pp. 22–25.
- Johnson, Paul (1987). A History of the Jews. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-06-091533-9.
- Lewis, Bernard. "Semites and Anti-Semites". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2018.. Extract from Islam in History: Ideas, Men and Events in the Middle East, The Library Press, 1973.Lewis, Bernard (Winter 2006). "The New Anti-Semitism". The American Scholar. 75 (1): 25–36. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017.
- Lipstadt, Deborah (2019). Antisemitism: Here and Now. Schocken Books. ISBN 978-0-80524337-6.
- Starr, Michael (2022-02-04). "Encyclopedia Britannica: Semitic people can't be called antisemitic". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
Further reading
- Gula, Robert J. (2002). Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies. Axios Press. pp. 48, 161. ISBN 0-9661908-5-8.
- Steinmetz, Sol (2008). Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meanings. Random House Reference. ISBN 978-0-375-42612-4.
- Zenker, Frank (2002). The Etymological Argument - Fallacy or Sound Move. Munich. ISBN 978-3-638-14401-8. OCLC 904809359.
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