specious (2009-06-15)

Part of Speech: adjective

Pronunciation: ['spee-shês]

Definition: Ostensibly true but, in fact, false, misleading; deceptively attractive (language, gestures, and such).

Usage: We have warned our readers of the specious arguments that "gaudy" comes from the name of Spanish art nouveau architect Antonion Gaudi and that "posh" comes from the phrase "port out starboard homeward," supposedly the location of the luxury first-class cabins on British passenger ships. They make sense but both claims are false. An offer to donate $5,000 to a cause may seem attractive but if most of it is in the form of goods of little use manufactured by the donor, the offer is specious.

Suggested Usage: The adverb is "speciously" and you have your choice of nouns: "speciosity" or "speciousness."

Etymology: Today's word wandered into English from Latin speciosus "good-looking, beautiful, brilliant, handsome," from species "something seen, a sight, appearance, species," which also gave us "spice." The root comes from Proto-Indo-European *spek- "to observe, see, watch." This root underlies "spy," and "espy" from Old French "espier," currently "épier." It is also the forefather of various Latin borrowings based on spec- "to look, watch," such as "speculate," "spectacle," "spectrum," "respect," "inspect," etc. In Greek, the [p] and [k] changed places, creating the –scope of "microscope," "periscope," and "telescope."