"What word's original meaning was ""to remove every tenth one""?"
Etymological fallacy Not every change in meaning leads to an etymological fallacy, but such changes are frequently the basis of inaccurate arguments. An example of a word which has greatly changed its meaning is "decimation", which originally referred to reduction by a tenth, but now usually means a drastic reduction or complete destruction. Insisting that only the original meaning is "true" constitutes an etymological fallacy. Etymological fallacy The etymological fallacy is a genetic fallacy that holds that the present-day meaning of a word or phrase should necessarily be similar to its historical meaning. This is a linguistic misconception, and is sometimes used
Original meaning Original meaning In the context of United States constitutional interpretation, original meaning is the dominant form of the legal theory of originalism today. It was made popular by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and contends that the terms of the United States Constitution should be interpreted as meaning what they meant when they were ratified, which is to say, it asks the question: "What would a reasonable person living at the time of ratification have understood these words to mean?" The theory stands in equal opposition to interpretivist theories such as original intent, and legal realist theories such as that