Author: Catulle (---.npower.com)
Date: 08-30-2002 05:20
I'm a little off-topic, but the use of language (especially latin) is of real interest to me and your article sparked something in that part of my brain. Thanks.
To quote by way of context:-
"Convict" is particularly interesting; it comes from the Latin "convincere" which means "to refute," or to prove a finding is wrong or false, and yet when you convict someone of a crime you're attempting to prove that your case is true.
Two points;
i) The closest latin parallel to "Convict" is "convictus", the participle form from the verb you refer to. It would thus lend itself to meaning 'the refuted'. i.e. one whose arguments had been found wanting.
ii) When you attempt to prove somebody guilty of a crime, that's not con-victing them, that's pro-secuting them...
Thoughts?
Barry
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