syllogism

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsɪlədʒɪz(ə)m/^[1]

Etymology

It comes from Middle English silogisme,^[2][3][4][5] from Old French silogisme,^[2][3][4] from Latin syllogismus,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek συλλογισμός (sullogismós, “inference, conclusion; computation”),^[2][3][4][5] from sullogízesthai “to bring together, infer”,^[2][3][4][5] from sun- “together” and logízesthai “to reckon”, from lógos “reckoning, reason”.^[2][3][4][5] The classical spelling with -y- was restored from about 1520.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Before 1387 in a transferred or humorous sense, an argument;^[3][7] in logic, an argument of two premises and a conclusion (1398).^[7]

Semantic evolution

From 1588 the word also meant reasoning from the general to the particular, deduction in general.^[7][2] It is also used of a subtle or specious argument.^[2][5][6] The verb syllogize dates from the early 15th century,^[4] and syllogistic from about 1449.^[3]

Timeline

• before 1387 – silogisme.^[3][7]
• 1398 – a formal argument in logic.^[7]
• about 1449 – syllogistic.^[3]
• about 1520 – spelling syllogism.^[4]
• 1588 – deductive reasoning in general.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A form of deductive reasoning with a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion, as “all humans are mortal, I am human, therefore I am mortal”.
2. Reasoning from the general to the particular; deduction.
3. A subtle, specious or crafty argument; a sophism.

Word family

• syllogistic
• syllogistically
• episyllogism
• polysyllogism
• prosyllogism

Related words

• logic
• logos
• premise

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press