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Now please do same for "factoid". The recent inversion of the definition of factoid is a much bigger problem. The term originates from medical science and means

Now please do same for "factoid". The recent inversion of the definition of factoid is a much bigger problem. The term originates from medical science and means "a FALSE fact that is believed to be true after appearing in print". But some journalists miss understood it to mean "a small, but TRUE fact." Their new definition was false, but is now believed to be true after appearing in print. So, the modern definition of factoid is, itself, a factoid. Making this, er, fact well known will be useful to future historians, who, when they encounter the word in early 2nd millennium texts, are going to have to puzzle over whether or not the factoid mentioned is actually meant to be true, or false. Edit, btw, the suffix "oid" means "resembling", so, a factoid is something resembling a fact. Therefore, factoid contains its own definition; and we still butchered it.

in_being_the 3y ago
A true fact is as capable of "resembling a fact" as a false one.
crazygringo 3y ago
You're incorrect about the origin. According to Merriam-Webster [1]: > We can thank Norman Mailer for factoid: he used the word in his 1973 book Marilyn (about Marilyn Monroe), and he is believed to be the coiner of the word. But who cares? A word totally invented just five short decades ago quickly morphed, as MW continues: > The word has since evolved so that now it most often refers to things that decidedly are facts, just not ones that are significant. Why should Norman Mailer's made-up definition get precedence over the people who actually use it? Just because you coin something doesn't mean you own it. I don't think future historians are going to be confused. Never in my life have I encountered the word "factoid" used in Mailer's sense, until reading your comment. The new definition has long since taken over, long live fun little facts — long live factoids! [1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factoid https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factoid
srcreigh 3y ago
“Fact” related words have always had a divergence. Latin factum verb means to do. Various words fall on the objective aspect of action (fact, factual) while others fall on the more subjective “artificial” aspect (factitious, factoid) The family of the word “act” has similar divergence from similar Latin word actus

in_being_the 3y ago

A true fact is as capable of "resembling a fact" as a false one.

crazygringo 3y ago

You're incorrect about the origin. According to Merriam-Webster [1]: > We can thank Norman Mailer for factoid: he used the word in his 1973 book Marilyn (about Marilyn Monroe), and he is believed to be the coiner of the word. But who cares? A word totally invented just five short decades ago quickly morphed, as MW continues: > The word has since evolved so that now it most often refers to things that decidedly are facts, just not ones that are significant. Why should Norman Mailer's made-up definition get precedence over the people who actually use it? Just because you coin something doesn't mean you own it. I don't think future historians are going to be confused. Never in my life have I encountered the word "factoid" used in Mailer's sense, until reading your comment. The new definition has long since taken over, long live fun little facts — long live factoids! [1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factoid https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factoid

srcreigh 3y ago

“Fact” related words have always had a divergence. Latin factum verb means to do. Various words fall on the objective aspect of action (fact, factual) while others fall on the more subjective “artificial” aspect (factitious, factoid) The family of the word “act” has similar divergence from similar Latin word actus