# What Other Words Have Lost Their Original Meanings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2002, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414 "2002-06-11T08:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/41 "2026-02-24T21:37:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@Skywatcher](#): > > > > According to [Wikipedia,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_turtle_dove) these two usages of “turtle” are unrelated. > > Sorry, I thought I was clear. I understand the two meanings are unrelated. But it’s one word with two different meanings. For maximum clarity, especially when reading etymologies, is that there are _two_ words “turtle”, that happen to have the same spelling and pronunciation. It’s the separate etymologies that lets us known it’s two words, and not one word that happened to end up with two different meanings. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/42 "2026-02-24T23:12:47Z")
What, nobody has posted the Pratchett quote yet? > [@](#): > > Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder. > Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels. > Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies. > Elves are glamorous. They project glamour. > Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. > Elves are terrific. They beget terror. > The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning. > No one ever said elves are nice. > Elves are bad. Another interesting one is “manufactured”. Originally, it meant “hand-made”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/43 "2026-02-25T01:34:16Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > Turtle > > Modern meaning: A hard shelled reptile. > > Old Meaning: A kind of bird that we now call a pigeon. This came from the Latin _turtur_, which was based on the sound the birds made. > > According to [Wikipedia,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_turtle_dove) these two usages of “turtle” are unrelated. The process is termed “folk etymology,” where an unfamiliar word new to the language changes to a more familiar form. The French “tortue” evolved to match the English “turtle” (turtle dove now). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/44 "2026-02-26T19:52:22Z")
The old meaning of “want” is still used in the courts, where a case can be dismissed for want of prosecution (in a civil case, it refers to the plaintiff) or dismissed for want of jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/45 "2026-02-26T20:01:29Z")
There’s a chain of marijuana dispensaries in suburban Chicago named Okay, which sounds fairly self-deprecating unless there’s some slang or trade usage of the word that I miss as a non-user. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/46 "2026-02-26T20:06:45Z")
“Masterpiece” these days means something that is at the pinnacle of an art or craft. However, it _used_ to mean the project somebody in a medieval guild worked on to qualify for a Master rank in the guild. Which is close to the opposite in meaning, it didn’t mean “one of the best works ever”, it meant “meets the bare qualifications for being an expert job”. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/47 "2026-02-26T21:24:27Z")
**Democracy** Until the early-mid 20th century, it meant, “Rule by popular vote.” As best I’ve been able to determine, Woodrow Wilson and the National Education Association (among other) populist/left leaning organizations started to push the new, alternate definition that democracy means, “A country with a popularly elected president”, specifically undercutting the roles of Congress and the Electoral College. Under this new definition, Mexico and the Philippines are Democracies. The US is a nation that is still on its way to being a proper democracy. [https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIV-S4-1/ALDE\_00013635/?hl=en-US](https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIV-S4-1/ALDE_00013635/?hl=en-US) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/48 "2026-02-26T21:33:04Z")
I don’t see anything in that link nor in Wiktionary about that definition of democracy and I’ve never heard anyone emphasize an elected president. I more often hear the term _republic_ used for that, as opposed to having a monarch as a head of state in an otherwise elected democracy. Now, what I _have_ heard is that the Vietnamese consider themselves to be democratic but not because they have valid elections but because in their language “democracy” has a connotation of good governance that is responsive to peoples needs. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I have heard the confused statement that Vietnam is “democratic” from otherwise liberal people (as opposed to leftist tankies). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/49 "2026-02-26T21:57:27Z")
The lighter form (generally short for “Democratic Republic”) is still a corrupt replacement. The original form of the US government was that land owning white men could vote, and those votes were then skewed according to different forms of population count. While the representatives were expected to focus on the welfare of the people (per the first sentence of the Constitution), that was more of a job description than something that came from the popular vote. The modern equivalent might be like saying that college educated people who have a retirement account with your yearly income multiplied by 2 \* ((age -20) / 10) in it are the only people allowed to vote. E.g. you’re a stable, reliable, educated individual then we trust you to discern and elect a person who would serve according to the job description. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/50 "2026-02-26T22:49:51Z")
**Woke** Originally an adjective to describe awareness of racial discrimination (with the implied exhortation to always vote), it now seems to be used by MAGAs mostly to end discussions. **Fake News** I first heard it from Norm McDonald in the introduction to SNL’s “Weekend Update”. It’s become a chant MAGAs respond with to anything they hear and don’t like. **Entitlement** Originally referred to government benefit programs which people had paid into and therefore _were_ entitled to (Social Security, Medicare, etc.) Now generally accepted as referring to programs which people _feel_ entitled to, with the implication that they’re actually not entitled. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/51 "2026-02-26T23:13:01Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > **Fake News** > I first heard it from Norm McDonald in the introduction to SNL’s “Weekend Update”. It’s become a chant MAGAs respond with to anything they hear and don’t like. I first heard it from snopes circa 2016, who used it to refer to websites that were designed to look like legitimate news sites, but published completely fabricated stories designed to get lots of shares on social media, thus driving lots of traffic to their site so the owner can make a quick buck from ad revenue. Often they accomplished this through stories designed to provoke outrage or that appeared to confirm some conspiracy theory, like the one that the Democrats were going to rig the election. If called on their fake stories the owners of these sites would usually claim they were “satire”, but there nothing satirical about them in the traditional sense. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/52 "2026-02-27T00:51:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > At some point the words tortoise and turtle were similar enough that English speakers began using the word turtle to name the reptile. The word **tortoise then began to mean the aquatic reptiles**. My bold. Made me look it up because I’ve been wrong on this sort of thing before - tortoise is terrestrial, turtles are aquatic. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/53 "2026-02-27T01:38:40Z")
> [@Insecta](#): > > **Mouses** has changed from a schoolchild error to the acceptable plural for a computer mouse. More of those irregular plurals need to die. Cute meant "shrewd,” “keen,” or “clever.” ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/54 "2026-02-27T01:48:49Z")
One of the most interesting words is inflammable which has completely reversed meaning in my lifetime. When I was growing up it meant capable of being inflamed and the opposite was non-inflammable. Now the neologism flammable has taken over the original meaning and inflammable has come to mean non-inflammable. Very confusing and even potentially dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/55 "2026-02-27T02:22:10Z")
The word “inflammable” should never be used, because it’s confusing, in a context where confusion could be life-threatening. Instead, use “flammable” and “nonflammable”. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/56 "2026-02-27T02:28:08Z")
Intercourse. It used to mean general communication, interaction. Now the meaning has narrowed down to sexual intercourse. [Intercourse - Etymology, Origin & Meaning](https://www.etymonline.com/word/intercourse) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/57 "2026-02-27T03:09:24Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > My bold. Made me look it up because I’ve been wrong on this sort of thing before - tortoise is terrestrial, turtles are aquatic. You’re right. I got it backwards when I wrote that post. ---
**Author:** ![Cheetahkins](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheetahkins/32/20603_2.png) [@Cheetahkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheetahkins)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/58 "2026-02-27T03:26:53Z")
Terrific: which usually has good vibes now but used to be more of a bad descriptor like a ‘terrific explosion’ for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/59 "2026-02-27T04:17:30Z")
I’m surprised no one has brought up the can of worms that is “literally.” Personally, I have no problem with the current usage as an intensifier, as it has been used that way for hundreds of years, but some get all twisted by that one. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/60 "2026-02-27T13:44:40Z")
“Deer” used to mean any wild animal. “Weird” used to mean “destiny” or “fate.” In MacBeth, the three “weird sisters” are evocative of the Greek “Three Fates.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414.md?page=4)