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Wrong is a binary state, you're wrong or not, both statements are equally wrong. What you're looking for is the term "Farther from the truth" Saying a tomato is
by logicalDuck 11y ago
Wrong is a binary state, you're wrong or not, both statements are equally wrong. What you're looking for is the term "Farther from the truth" Saying a tomato is a vegetable is closer to the truth (or closer to correct) than to say it is a suspension bridge. However both are completely and unequivocally wrong as wrong is a binary state.
- coldtea 11y agoUnfortunately, you're wrong. "Wrong" is a binary state only in abstract Logic. When it comes to human languages the use of such words in a comparative manner is a common and accepted occurrence, from ancient times even. It's also a phenomenon (along with numerous others mistakenly thought as "wrong") that has been heavily studied by linguists and considered an example of a valid use of language as it evolves (as opposed to a syntactical or spelling error that comes from ignorance or from a lapse of concentration).
- logicalDuck 11y agoDo you have any references or studies that you could point me to? I'd love to read about the studies that have been done. Logic vs language is a really interesting topic since it basically means the integration of your expert skill set (how much you use logic and logical constructs) will inform your understanding of language. I wonder if that definition of wrong that linguists have found will change if our society shifts more towards a logic based outlook, or more jobs that work with binary state.