sorites
English
Etymology
From the Latin sōrītēs, from the Ancient Greek σωρείτης (sōreítēs, “fallacy of the heap”), from σωρός (sōrós, “heap”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /səˈɹaɪtiːz/
Noun
sorites (plural sorites)
- (logic, rhetoric) A series of propositions whereby each conclusion is taken as the subject of the next.
- 1760, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, Penguin, published 2003, page 130:
- Why?—he would ask, making use of the sorites or syllogism of Zeno and Chrysippus without knowing it belonged to them.—Why? why are we a ruined people?—Because we are corrupted.——Whence is it, dear Sir, that we are corrupted?—Because we are needy [...] ——And wherefore, he would add,—are we needy?——From the neglect, he would answer
Derived terms
- destructive sorites
- Goclenian sorites
- sorites paradox
See also
Anagrams
Latin
Etymology
From Ancient Greek σωρείτης (sōreítēs, “fallacy of the heap”), from σωρός (sōrós, “heap”).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [soːˈriː.teːs]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [soˈriː.t̪es]
Noun
sōrītēs m (genitive sōrītae); first declension
- sorites; a logical sophism formed by an accumulation of arguments
Declension
First-declension noun (masculine, Greek-type, nominative singular in -ēs).
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | sōrītēs | sōrītae |
| genitive | sōrītae | sōrītārum |
| dative | sōrītae | sōrītīs |
| accusative | sōrītēn | sōrītās |
| ablative | sōrītē | sōrītīs |
| vocative | sōrītē | sōrītae |
Descendants
- English: sorites
References
- “sorites”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “sorites”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- sorites in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.