Cacology
/kəˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
Bad or awkward speech; a faulty choice or arrangement of words.
Did you know?In Greek, kakos meant “bad” or “evil,” so cacology is part of a whole family of words built from the language of corruption, ugliness, and mis-utterance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kakologia
“bad speech; abusive or ill-chosen language”
Late Latin
Latin
cacologia
“bad speech; faulty diction”
16th Century
English
cacologie
“faulty speech or bad wording”
Modern English
English
cacology
“bad or awkward speech; bad choice of words”
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