| 释义 |
‖ ignotum per ignotius|ɪgˈnəʊtəm pər ɪgˈnəʊʃɪəs or ɪgˈnəʊtɪəs|
[late L., lit. the unknown by means of the more unknown.]
An attempt to explain what is obscure by something which is more obscure, leading to ‘confusion worse confounded’.
c1386Chaucer Can. Yeom. T. 1457 And Plato answerde vnto hym anoon, ‘Take the stoon that Titanos men name.’ ‘Which is that?’ quod he. ‘Magnasia is the same,’ Seyde Plato. ‘Ye, sire, and is it thus? This [is] ignotum per ignocius [v.r. ignotius]. What is Magnasia, good sire, I yow preye?’ c1450Lydgate Secrees (1894) 588 With goldeyn Resouns in taast moost lykerous, Thyng per ignotum prevyd per ignocius. 1584R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. iii. xvii. 67 Confuteth that opinion by a notable reason, called Petitio principij, or rather, Ignotum per ignotius. a1734R. North Examen (1740) ii. i. 28 When he drops his own Authority, and brings Fact to confirm all, the vouching that Fact by his own pure Parole, is a Cheat termed Ignotum per ignotius. 1888Athenæum 22 Dec. 843/2 When Arabic names are twisted and mis-copied..the identification of sites resolves itself into a case of ‘ignotum per ignotius’. 1931Times Lit. Suppl. 30 July 590/3 [He] even goes so far on one occasion as to explain an Egyptian chiaoush as being analogous to an Indian chobdav, which to some readers may be a case of ignotum per ignotius. 1935Ibid. 2 May 289/1 A distinct failure to escape the imputation of ignotum per ignotius. |