# How did the word discursive end up with two contradictory meanings?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-word-discursive-end-up-with-two-contradictory-meanings/975012
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 16, 2022, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-word-discursive-end-up-with-two-contradictory-meanings/975012 "2022-11-16T07:24:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2022, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-word-discursive-end-up-with-two-contradictory-meanings/975012/1 "2022-11-16T07:24:26Z")
How did the word ‘discursive’ end up having two contradictory meanings ‘rambling’ in common usage and ‘coherent ‘ in a philosophical sense ?
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### Author:  [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2022, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-word-discursive-end-up-with-two-contradictory-meanings/975012/2 "2022-11-16T08:15:25Z")
The root is the Latin _discurrere_, to run about; to run off in several directions. This gives us Middle French _discourir_, to run around or run about or (in the mental sense) in speaking or writing, to move from point to point.
Obviously, moving from point to point can be either orderly (moving from one point to the next in a structured way, with an end-point in mind) or chaotic (randomly moving between unconnected or only vaguely related points). Both senses appear to have entered the English language at about the same time, in the late seventeenth century.
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### Author:  [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-word-discursive-end-up-with-two-contradictory-meanings/975012/3 "2022-11-16T16:19:44Z")
Thank you UDS1.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-word-discursive-end-up-with-two-contradictory-meanings/975012/4 "2022-11-16T18:17:25Z")
Since this obviously isn’t a game, let’s move this to FQ (from Thread Games).