alias, alibi

alias, alibi
   Both words derive from the Latin root alius (meaning "other"). Alias refers to an assumed name and pertains only to names. It would be incorrect to speak of an impostor passing himself off under the alias of being a doctor.
   Alibi is a much more contentious word. In legal parlance it refers to a plea by an accused person that she was elsewhere at the time she was alleged to have committed a crime. More commonly it is used to mean any excuse. Fowler called this latter usage mischievous and pretentious, and most authorities agree with him. But Bernstein, while conceding that the usage is a casualism, contends that no other word can quite convey the meaning of an excuse intended to transfer responsibility. Time will no doubt support him-many distinguished writers have used alibi in its more general, less fastidious sense-but for the moment, all that can be said is that in the sense of a general excuse, many authorities consider alibi unacceptable.

Dictionary of troublesome word. . 2013.

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  • alias — »anders, sonst, auch« (Adverb): Das Wort wurde im 15. Jh. aus dem Lateinischen übernommen. Das lat. Adverb alias »ein anderes Mal; anders, sonst« gehört zu lat. alius »ein anderer« (urverwandt mit gleichbed. griech. állos; vgl. die Vorsilbe ↑… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • alibi — (n.) 1743, the plea of having been elsewhere when an action took place, from L. alibi elsewhere, somewhere else, locative of alius (an)other (see ALIAS (Cf. alias) (adv.)). The weakened sense of excuse is attested since 1912, but technically any… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Alibi — alias »anders, sonst, auch« (Adverb): Das Wort wurde im 15. Jh. aus dem Lateinischen übernommen. Das lat. Adverb alias »ein anderes Mal; anders, sonst« gehört zu lat. alius »ein anderer« (urverwandt mit gleichbed. griech. állos; vgl. die Vorsilbe …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • Alibi — Sn (Nachweis über den) Aufenthalt an einem anderen Ort erw. fach. (18. Jh.) Entlehnung. In Anlehnung an frz. alibi m. entlehnt aus l. alibī anderswo , Adverbialbildung zu l. alius ein anderer .    Ebenso nndl. alibi, ne. alibi, nfrz. alibi, nschw …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • alias — Ptkl anders, auch ... genannt erw. fach. (15. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus l. aliās anders , Adverbialbildung zu l. alius ein anderer .    Ebenso nndl. alias, ne. alias, nfrz. alias, nschw. alias, nnorw. alias. Zu Adverbien von l. alius gehören… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Alibi — Al i*bi, n. [L., elsewhere, at another place. See {Alias}.] (Law) The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove that he was in another place when the alleged act was committed; as, to set up an… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • alibi — [18] In Latin, alibi means literally ‘somewhere else’. It is the locative form (that is, the form expressing place) of the pronoun alius ‘other’ (which is related to Greek allos ‘other’ and English else). When first introduced into English it was …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • alibi — [18] In Latin, alibi means literally ‘somewhere else’. It is the locative form (that is, the form expressing place) of the pronoun alius ‘other’ (which is related to Greek allos ‘other’ and English else). When first introduced into English it was …   Word origins

  • SUPANUS alias SOPANUS — SUPANUS, alias SOPANUS Nobilis primarius, haeres Magnus apud Bohemos, unde Freherus esse docet Pany eorum, Spelmann. Gloss. Archaeol. in Superillustres. Spec. Sax. l. 1. Art. 3. Ad hunc modum clypeus seu cingulum militare in septimo terminatur:… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • allegory — [14] Etymologically, allegory means ‘speaking otherwise’. It comes from a Greek compound based on allos ‘other’ (which is related to Latin alius, as in English alibi and alias, and to English else) and agoreúein ‘speak publicly’ (derived from… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

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