I was thinking about words that have had their meaning changed over time, usually due to misuse by the public. I thought of a few, but I'm sure others can come up with more.
Nauseous - originally meant "causing nausea." For example, "The morgue had a nauseous smell." Has come to mean the same thing as nauseated, or feeling nausea. For example, "I've been feeling nauseous since I ate that canned salmon."
Inflammable - originally meant "able to be inflamed, combustible." Now in disuse, replaced by flammable. Apparently many people thought that the "in-" was a prefix meaning not. Since it was dangerous to think that something inflammable was not inflammable, the in- was dropped.
Moot - originally meant "worthy of debate, discussion, or argument." Now it has taken on the exact opposite meaning, so that when a point is moot, it is not worthy of discussion.
Tolerance - originally meant "capacity to endure." For example, "I can tolerate 120-dgree desert heat; I can only tolerate so much gore before I get nauseated." Has come to mean "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own."
This morning I thought of another one, but my old brain can't find it right now. If I do, I will post it.
Nauseous - originally meant "causing nausea." For example, "The morgue had a nauseous smell." Has come to mean the same thing as nauseated, or feeling nausea. For example, "I've been feeling nauseous since I ate that canned salmon."
Inflammable - originally meant "able to be inflamed, combustible." Now in disuse, replaced by flammable. Apparently many people thought that the "in-" was a prefix meaning not. Since it was dangerous to think that something inflammable was not inflammable, the in- was dropped.
Moot - originally meant "worthy of debate, discussion, or argument." Now it has taken on the exact opposite meaning, so that when a point is moot, it is not worthy of discussion.
Tolerance - originally meant "capacity to endure." For example, "I can tolerate 120-dgree desert heat; I can only tolerate so much gore before I get nauseated." Has come to mean "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own."
This morning I thought of another one, but my old brain can't find it right now. If I do, I will post it.