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Fallacy Library Etymological Fallacy
Informal fallacy Commonly Used Fallacy

Etymological Fallacy

Assumes a word’s current meaning or truth is determined by its historical origin.

Definition

Assumes a word’s current meaning or truth is determined by its historical origin.

Example
The word nice used to mean foolish, so calling someone nice must still imply foolishness.
Extended explanation

How to think about it:

Assumes a word’s current meaning or truth is determined by its historical origin. In practice, the key question is whether the conclusion is supported by evidence and logic, or whether it depends on this reasoning shortcut instead.

Related entries

Related by logic, rhetoric, or real-world co-occurrence

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