Appeal to the TRUE MEANING OF THE WORD
The appeal to the « true meaning of the word » is made in opposition to discourses that are said to use a false, improper, or superficial meaning of a given word. This appeal produces a stasis of definition (2).
The true meaning of a word can be sought in:
– its etymological meaning
– its morphology
– the meaning of the corresponding word in another language.
1. Argument by Etymology
The label « argument by etymology » corresponds to different kinds of arguments, depending on the meaning given to etymology.
- Under the heading « argument from etymology », some modern texts discuss phenomena related to related words (Dupleix, 1603).
- In modern usage, the etymological meaning of a word is the meaning of the oldest historical root identified in the history of the word.
The etymological argument valorizes the meaning of that root by assuming that this ancient meaning is the true and permanent meaning of that word, which has been altered by historical evolution to produce a contemporary perverted and misleading meaning. This etymological meaning is used in arguments that exploit a definition.
Atom comes from / is a Greek word composed of the negative prefix a- and a noun meaning « to cut »; it means « in-divisible ». So, you cannot break the atom.
Democracy comes from / is a Greek word composed of demos “people » and” kratos « rule ». In Syldavia, the people don’t rule, they vote and forget. So, Syldavia is not a democracy.
The appeal to etymology is itself supported by an argument from etymology, since the word etymology is derived from the Greek root ètumos meaning « true ».
Because knowledge of etymology is culturally valued, the argument from etymology gives the speaker a certain ethotic posture of majesty and erudite authority. It serves the strategy of discourse destruction well « You don’t even know the language you claim to speak », see destruction.
2. Argumentation Based on the Structure of the Word, Ex Notatione
Latin notatio, « the act of marking a sign … to designate […] to note », as well as « etymology » (Gaffiot [1934], Notatio).
Cicero in the Topics defines the argument « ex notatione » (Topics, VIII, 35: 78), translated as « argument by etymology ». This translation takes the word etymology in its ancient sense of « true ». The true sense of the word in question is now defined as the meaning reconstructed by the correct analysis of the word (and not as its original historical meaning).
One of the examples of argument discussed by Cicero in this context concerns a conflict over the interpretation of a compound legal term (still in use today), the postliminium (Top., VIII, 36, p. 78). The postliminium is the right of a prisoner returning to his country to regain the property and social position he held before his captivity.
Cicero’s discussion concerns the determination of the correct meaning of the word, on the basis based of its linguistic structure, without any clear allusion to its etymology in the contemporary sense of the term.
A contradictory report (joint report) is a report that reflects the statements of both parties, and not a self-contradictory verbal report, or a report that contradicts another.
The argumentation from the structure of the word thus combines two argumentations:
— The first argumentation establishes the meaning of the compound word on the basis of the meaning of its constituent terms and its morphological structure. This type of argumentation is relevant to all idioms whose meaning depends more or less on the meaning of the terms that compose them. It is based on linguistic knowledge and technique, see definition (1).
— A second argumentation uses the « true » meaning thus established for some legal conclusion, according to the general mechanisms of argumentation by the definition, see definition (3).
The argument from the structure of the word functions as a way of resolving a conflict of interpretation.
3. Argument from the Meaning of the Word in Another Language
One can look for the true meaning of the word in another language, which for various reasons is considered to be closer to the « origin » or the « essence » of things. One such language is Chinese. For example, the word crisis, can be defined as « a time of intense difficulty or danger » (Google, Crisis). When searching for « what crises really are », one can move on to « what the word crisis really, truly, means », and look up the Chinese equivalent of the word. The Chinese word for crisis is a compound of two characters, meaning respectively « danger » and « opportunity ». So, crises are opportunities; and, by an argument based on the Chinese definition, we deduce that:
The opportunistic approach to the crisis then takes on its full meaning: Not to seize the opportunity of a crisis, is to miss an opportunity, perhaps hidden, but within reach. (Stéphane Saint Pol, [Wei Ji, Return to the Roots][1])
The argument assumes that the Chinese language has elaborated and preserved a better concept of crisis, closer to the essence of the thing, and better adapted to the modern world.
[1] www.communication-sensible.com/articles/article0151.php]. (09-20-2013).