4 ms·
Arguing based on etymology is a logical fallacy.
by umanwizard 10y ago
Arguing based on etymology is a logical fallacy.
- ianai 10y agosays who other than you?
- chillwaves 10y agoArgumentum ad populum is a logical fallacy.
- pluma 10y agoAnyone with any knowledge of linguistics? Even when the etymologies are correct (and they rarely are) they're entirely orthogonal to what words actually mean in practice today because language is only defined by its use (and is highly contextual).
- Alex3917 10y agoIn this case, as I've documented, the way many modern religious studies people use the word is closely aligned with the etymology I gave. Whether that etymology is historically accurate has been disputed, but the fact that people use the word to mean basically the same thing as the purported etymology is not.