The term fallacy has an interesting etymology. It originated in a 1481 collection of fables featuring a clever fox, initially spelled as falacye before evolving into fallacie, and eventually settling on fallacy in the seventeenth century. Its roots can be traced back to the Latin word fallax, meaning “deception” or “deceit,” derived from the verb fallere, which translates to “to deceive.” Linguist Michiel de Vaan even linked it to the Proto-Indo-European term sghel, suggesting a connection to the concept of stumbling.
Over time, the metaphorical association of stumbling with mental errors led to the term’s use in describing flawed arguments. Interestingly, the usage of fallacy has declined since its peak in the mid-nineteenth century.
