Logomachy
/loʊˈmɑːk.i/noun
A dispute or argument about words rather than substance.
Did you know?It comes from Greek roots used for actual combat: logos for “word” and machē for “battle,” so the term itself turns language into a weapon.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
logomachía
“a battle of words; wrangling”
Late Greek
Greek
logomachia
“verbal contention or dispute”
16th Century
English
logomachy
“a dispute about words”
Modern English
English
logomachy
“a wrangle over words rather than ideas”