Etymological fallacy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An etymological fallacy is a linguistical misconception based on the idea that the etymology of a word or phrase is its actual meaning. For example, the meaning of the word prevent may be thought to signify "to go before" based on its etymology: from the Latin prae + venire. This falsely deduced meaning is a fallacy due to the fact that it fails to take into account semantic changes over time.

Native and non-native speakers pick up the meaning from reflecting on contextual usage. In day-to-day usage, most speakers of a language will rely on the context of a word or phrase and deduce the meaning from it rather than an etymology which may, in any case, not be at all clear, particularly if it is based in a foreign or archaic language.

 This linguistics article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


Absurdity | Argument from ignorance | Argument from silence | Bandwagon fallacy
Bulverism | Irrelevant conclusion | Middle ground | Missing argument
Proof by assertion | Straw man | Style over substance | Two wrongs make a right
Appeal to consequences:
Appeal to force | Wishful thinking
Appeal to emotion:
Fear | Flattery | Nature | Pity | Repugnance | Ridicule | Spite
Genetic fallacy:
Personal attack (Appeal to motive | Guilt by association | Poisoning the well | You too)
Appeal to authority (Novelty | Poverty | Tradition | Wealth) | Chronological snobbery | Etymology
Other types of fallacy
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