Inconceivable!

Five Words That Don't Mean What You Think They Mean


Entomology is an interest of mine, I find it fascinating to learn where words originated and how they have come to mean what they mean now. Studying this can often lend new insight into the meaning of seemingly straightforward ideas. Though common usage has changed the definitions over time, there are a few words I refuse to use in any other way. What follows are some of my favorite words and their true-ish meanings based on their origins.

Inconceivable

adjective - in·con·ceiv·able - \ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl\

a :  not conceivable: such as
b :  impossible to comprehend
c :  unbelievable

Surprisingly enough, inconceivable means exactly what you think it means: not conceivable. Unthinkable. Unbelievable.
He didn’t fall? Inconceivable!  —Vizzini (Princess Bride)


Decimate

verb - dec·i·mate - \ˈde-sə-ˌmāt\
a:  to select by lot and kill every tenth man of decimate a regiment
b:  to exact a tax of 10 percent from:
poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden

From decem meaning ten. The word itself means to reduce by ten. Originally the term came from the Roman practice of drawing lots and executing one tenth of a unit that was guilty of a crime such as a mutiny.
“Shall we decimate them? That sounds good, nice word, decimate. Remove one tenth of the population!” —The Master (Doctor Who S29 E12: The Sound of Drums)

Vulgar

adjective - vul·gar - \ˈvəl-gər\

adjective
a :  of or relating to the common people :  plebeian
b :  generally current :  public the vulgar opinion of that time
c :  of the usual, typical, or ordinary kind

This word comes from the Middle English via the Latin word vulgaris which means “of the mob” or the common people. An example of vulgar language today could be “It’s gonna be real hard, fam.”

Sophisticated (from sophistry, sophism)

adjective - so·phis·ti·cat·ed - \sə-ˈfi-stə-ˌkā-təd\

a:  subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation
b: an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid; especially :  such an argument used to deceive

Sophistry has its roots in ancient Greek philosophy. Learned men, or sophists from Greek for wisdom, would sometimes be hired by politicians or aristocrats to argue in their favor, in order to sway governments or just public opinion in their favor. In essence what lawyers and lobbyists do today. To be sophisticated meant one was good at debating and making superficially sound arguments, but whose talents were for sale and morals inconsequential.
An example of sophisticated language could be “It is going to be very difficult, loved ones.”

Literally

adverb - lit·er·al·ly - \ˈli-tə-rə-lē, ˈli-trə-lē, ˈli-tər-lē\

in a literal sense or manner: such as
a :  in a way that uses the ordinary or primary meaning of a term or expression He took the remark literally. a word that can be used both literally and figuratively
b :  used to emphasize the truth and accuracy of a statement or description The party was attended by literally hundreds of people.
c :  with exact equivalence :  with the meaning of each individual word given exactly The term “Mardi Gras” literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French.

Literally means it actually happened. From Latin litera/littera meaning letters as in “to the letter.” Literally was originally used in the 14th century to reference scripture. As opposed to mystical or allegorical referring to fairy tales or parables which were not meant to be taken as truth, but as fictional stories meant to convey a lesson.

References

Definitions and pronunciation guides from:
Entomological research from:

Image credit: 20th Century Fox



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