
A malapropism (from French language ''mal à propos'', "ill to purpose") is an incorrect usage of a word, usually with comic effect. The term comes from the name of Mrs Malaprop, a character in Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy, ''The Rivals'' (1775), whose name was in turn derived from the existing English word ''malapropos'', meaning "inappropriately". Here are some examples from her dialogue: :"He's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile." (i.e., alligator) :"He is the very pineapple of politeness." (i.e., pinnacle) :"If I reprehend any thing in this world, it is the use of my oracle tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!" (i.e., apprehend; vernacular; arrangement; epithets) :"Then he laid prostate on the ground." (i.e., prostrate) However, it might be more appropriate to call such confusions "Dogberryisms" after Sergeant Dogberry in William Shakespeare's ''Much Ado About Nothing'', who was making them almost two centuries earlier, for example: :"Comparisons are odorous." (i.e. odious) :"Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons." (i.e. apprehended; suspicious) A malapropism found in a student paper reads: :"Many people are morally opposed to intravenous fertilization." (i.e. in vitro fertilization) Common malapropisms in modern English include use of: * ''Disinterested'' (impartial, unbiased) for ''uninterested'' ("A judge should be disinterested, but not uninterested") * ''Fortuitous'' (random, by chance) for ''fortunate'' * ''In the ascendancy'' for ''in the ascendant'' ("One has the ascendancy" vs "One is in the ascendant") * ''Barbaric'' for ''barbarous'' ("Barbaric" can be positive and is used of culture, "barbarous" is negative and used of behavior: "Barbaric splendor" vs "Barbarous cruelty") * ''Enormity'' (a heinous act) for ''enormousness'' (being very large). * ''Noisome'' (smelly) for ''noisy'' (very loud) Ringo Starr was famous for his many malapropisms, some of which became Beatles songs, including: * Tomorrow never knows * It's been a hard days night * Eight days a week == See also == * Fowler's Modern English Usage * Pleonasm * Elegant variation * Yogiisms * Norm Crosby * George W. Bush and his List of Bushisms Linguistics
According to my dictionary (Webster's New Collegiate, 1961) ENORMITY has the following meaning: "state or quality of being enormous; especially exceeding wickedness; also, an outrageous act or offense" This seems to imply that enormousness is one of the meanings of enormity. Also, BARBARIC is defined as: "1. Uncivilized or having a primitive civilization; rude; as, barbaric empires. 2. Showing lack or restraint or refinement; wild, showy, or exuberant; as, barbaric magnificence." This implies that barbaric sometimes means barbarous. In fact, one of the definitions of BARBAROUS is "barbaric". I will change the main page unless I hear a good argument against it. Perhaps the original author(s) is making the point that the malapropisms have made their way into the language to the point of being acceptable. This is not clear in the article. --User:SamuelWantman 06:31, 23 Oct 2004 (UTC) : You might want to look into British vs. American English usages regarding barbaric/barbarous but especially in enormity/enormousness. User:Cigarette 17:33, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)
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Words begining with Malapropism:
Malapropism
Malapropism
Malapropisms
Malapropism
A malapropism (from French language ''mal à propos'', "ill to purpose") is an incorrect usage of a word, usually with comic effect. The term comes from the name of Mrs Malaprop, a character in Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy, ''The Rivals'' (1775), whose name was in turn derived from the existing English word ''malapropos'', meaning "inappropriately". Here are some examples from her dialogue: :"He's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile." (i.e., alligator) :"He is the very pineapple of politeness." (i.e., pinnacle) :"If I reprehend any thing in this world, it is the use of my oracle tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!" (i.e., apprehend; vernacular; arrangement; epithets) :"Then he laid prostate on the ground." (i.e., prostrate) However, it might be more appropriate to call such confusions "Dogberryisms" after Sergeant Dogberry in William Shakespeare's ''Much Ado About Nothing'', who was making them almost two centuries earlier, for example: :"Comparisons are odorous." (i.e. odious) :"Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons." (i.e. apprehended; suspicious) A malapropism found in a student paper reads: :"Many people are morally opposed to intravenous fertilization." (i.e. in vitro fertilization) Common malapropisms in modern English include use of: * ''Disinterested'' (impartial, unbiased) for ''uninterested'' ("A judge should be disinterested, but not uninterested") * ''Fortuitous'' (random, by chance) for ''fortunate'' * ''In the ascendancy'' for ''in the ascendant'' ("One has the ascendancy" vs "One is in the ascendant") * ''Barbaric'' for ''barbarous'' ("Barbaric" can be positive and is used of culture, "barbarous" is negative and used of behavior: "Barbaric splendor" vs "Barbarous cruelty") * ''Enormity'' (a heinous act) for ''enormousness'' (being very large). * ''Noisome'' (smelly) for ''noisy'' (very loud) Ringo Starr was famous for his many malapropisms, some of which became Beatles songs, including: * Tomorrow never knows * It's been a hard days night * Eight days a week == See also == * Fowler's Modern English Usage * Pleonasm * Elegant variation * Yogiisms * Norm Crosby * George W. Bush and his List of Bushisms Linguistics
Malapropism
According to my dictionary (Webster's New Collegiate, 1961) ENORMITY has the following meaning: "state or quality of being enormous; especially exceeding wickedness; also, an outrageous act or offense" This seems to imply that enormousness is one of the meanings of enormity. Also, BARBARIC is defined as: "1. Uncivilized or having a primitive civilization; rude; as, barbaric empires. 2. Showing lack or restraint or refinement; wild, showy, or exuberant; as, barbaric magnificence." This implies that barbaric sometimes means barbarous. In fact, one of the definitions of BARBAROUS is "barbaric". I will change the main page unless I hear a good argument against it. Perhaps the original author(s) is making the point that the malapropisms have made their way into the language to the point of being acceptable. This is not clear in the article. --User:SamuelWantman 06:31, 23 Oct 2004 (UTC) : You might want to look into British vs. American English usages regarding barbaric/barbarous but especially in enormity/enormousness. User:Cigarette 17:33, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
M
MA | MB | MC | MD | ME | MF | MG | MH | MI | MJ | MK | ML | MN | MO | MP | MR | MS | MT | MU | MW | MX | MY | MZ |Words begining with Malapropism:
Malapropism
Malapropism
Malapropisms
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