Spuriousness
/ˌspjʊə.riˈɒs.ɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being false, fake, or not genuine.
Did you know?Its root goes back to Latin *spurius*, meaning “illegitimate” or “false-born,” so the word has carried a shadow of social shame and fraud for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sp(h)er-
“A debated ancient root proposed behind ideas of bearing or producing, though the exact prehistory is uncertain.”
Latin
Latin
spurius
“Illegitimate, false, not genuine; especially of a child born outside lawful marriage.”
Late Latin
Latin
spuriosus
“False, counterfeit, illegitimate.”
Middle English
English
spurious
“False, illegitimate, not genuine.”
Modern English
English
spuriousness
“The state or quality of being spurious; falseness or counterfeit character.”