2020-10-15
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด I – Illicit – licit – elicit
การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้อง ในที่นี้ เป็นไป ตามมาตรฐาน ของภาษา
การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง elicit & Illicit = ‘ih-LIS-it’
ออกเสียง licit = ‘LIS-it’
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree
illicit
not legally permitted; unlicensed; unlawful: Illicit drugs are rampant in the city.
Not to be confused with:
elicit – to draw or bring out; educe; evoke: Your story elicits memories of my childhood.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree
illicit
not legally permitted or authorized: an illicit attempt to control the market;
unlicensed; prohibited; not permitted by custom;
disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons
Not to be confused with:
illegal – forbidden by law or statute: an illegal U-turn;
forbidden by official rules or regulations: an illegal block (in football);
something that is unacceptable to or not performed by a computer: an illegal operation
illegitimate – born out of wedlock: an illegitimate child;
not sanctioned by law or custom: an illegitimate action;
not in proper grammatical usage
unlawful – contrary to law: unlawful search and seizure;
born out of wedlock
[All of the above describe actions that are not in accord with the law.
However, there are some differences in meaning among the words.
Illegal refers most specifically to violations of statutes or codified rules:
illegal seizure of property.
Illegitimate means lacking legal or traditional rights:
illegitimate use of privileged information.
Illicit most often applies to matters regulated by law with emphasis on the way things are carried out:
illicit conversion of property.
Unlawful means not sanctioned by law: an unlawful claim to an inheritance.]
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Choose the Right Synonym for elicit
EDUCE, EVOKE, ELICIT, EXTRACT, EXTORT
mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved.
EDUCE implies the bringing out of something potential or latent. educed order out of chaos
EVOKE implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory. a song that evokes warm memories
ELICIT usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response. careful questioning elicited the truth
EXTRACT implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information. extracted a confession from him
EXTORT suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly. extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
The Latin Roots of Elicit
Elicit derives from the past participle of the Latin verb elicere, formed by combining the prefix e- (meaning "away") with the verb lacere, meaning "to entice by charm or attraction." It is not related to its near-homophone, the adjective illicit—that word, meaning "unlawful," traces back to another Latin verb, licēre, meaning "to be permitted." Nor is elicit related to the verb solicit, even though it sounds like it should be. Solicit derives from Latin sollicitare ("to disturb"), formed bycombining the adjective sollus, meaning "whole," with the past participle of the verb ciēre, meaning "to move."
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Choose the Right Synonym for licit
LAWFUL, LEGAL, LEGITIMATE, LICIT
mean being in accordance with law.
LAWFUL may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon). the lawful sovereign
LEGAL applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts. legal residents of the state
LEGITIMATE may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards. a perfectly legitimate question about taxes
LICIT applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law. the licit use of drugs by doctors
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Licit
There is no such word as licit, and we cannot allow the author, respectable as he is, to coin language.
— The Monthly Anthology, Sept. 1804
Licit feels as though it could be a back-formation (“a word formed by subtraction of a real or supposed affix from an already existing longer word”), a class of word which frequently attracts censure. But this word, which is defined as “conforming to the requirements of the law; not forbidden by law,” has been in use since the 15th century, well over a hundred years earlier than illicit came on the scene.
Can it be thought licit for any to employ the best part of his Estate to his Luxury, to eat and drink, and be drunken, not caring what share others have of the Necessaries and Comforts of Life?
— Anon. Annus Sophiae Jubilaeus, The Sophick Constitution, or, The Evil Customs of the World Reform’d, 1700
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Illicit vs Licit
Licit is far less common than its antonym illicit, but you probably won't be surprised to learn that the former is the older of the two. Not by much, though: the first known use of licit in print is from 1483, whereas illicit shows up in print for the first time in 1506. For some reason illicit took off while licit just plodded along.
When licit appears these days, it often modifies drugs or crops.
Meanwhile, illicit shows up before words like thrill and passion (as well as gambling, relationship, activities, and, of course, drugs and crops.)
The Latin word licitus, meaning "lawful," is the root of the pair;
licitus itself is from licēre, meaning "to be permitted."
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Illicit and Elicit
Illicit, while not exactly an everyday word, is far more common than its antonym, licit ("not forbidden by law, permissible").
Perhaps this is a function of our oft-noted fascination with bad behavior and boredom with rectitude.
In any case, illicit may be used of behavior that is either unlawful or immoral.
These categories frequently overlap, but they are not always synonymous, as some unlawful activities (illicit cigarette smoking) may not be considered immoral, while some immoral activities (an illicit affair) are not illegal.
Illicit is occasionally confused with elicit because of the similarity in their pronunciations, but the two words have decidedly different meanings and functions: in contemporaryEnglish, elicit is a verb meaning "to get (a response, information, etc.) from someone," while illicit appears solely as an adjective.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Usage Notes
The Difference Between 'Elicit' and 'Illicit'
A tale of a verb and an adjective that sound alike but have nothing to do with one another
What to Know
While they may sound and look similar,
illicit is an adjective describing something that is illegal or not permitted, while elicit is a verb meaning "to bring forth a reaction or response."
Elicit can be traced back to lacere, which means "to allure,"
while illicit is related to licēre, which means "to be permitted."
What to Know
While they may sound and look similar, illicit is an adjective describing something that is illegal or not permitted, while elicit is a verb meaning "to bring forth a reaction or response." Elicit can be traced back to lacere, which means "to allure," while illicit is related to licēre, which means "to be permitted."
Usage of 'Illicit'
Illicit is an adjective applied to no-nos. It's used to talk about things people aren't supposed to do. Something illicit is not permitted especially because it is illegal:
… Silk Road, a dark web bazaar where users could buy and sell drugs and other illicit items, often using bitcoin.
— Reason Magazine 1 July 2018
Three years ago, when James joined Ghana's anti-smuggling task force, his job was to intercept illicit cocoa shipments from neighboring Ivory Coast to preserve the superior quality of his country's beans.
— Joe Bavier, Reuters, 28 July 2014
The word is also sometimes used to evoke a moodrelated to what is not permitted:
… before 1920, women had hesitated to drink in public alongside men, but the glamorously illicit atmosphere of speakeasies dissolved that taboo.
— Celia Wren, Commonweal, 23 Sept. 2011
Illicit can be useful as an alternative to the word illegal:
He is credited with taking a number of illegal firearms and illicit drugs off the streets.
— Jason Anderson, The Record (Stockton, California), 23 Feb. 2013
But, like its synonym unlawful, illicit also describes what may be legal but is still otherwise not permitted, especially because it is outside moral norms:
When the decade of the fifties began, sex was still something of an illicit subject in America.
— David Halberstam, American Heritage, May/June 1993
It's sometimes used somewhat playfully:
Just call them Romeo and Zoo-liet: a male zebra hopped a fence at an Italian animal preserve to mate with his seemingly illicit lover, a female donkey. Their offspring? A zonkey, of course, which zookeepers promptly named Ippo. Alas, her wacky DNA means she's infertile, so don't expect a zonkeydonk.
—Time, 12 Aug. 2013
Usage of 'Elicit'
Elicit, on the other hand, is a verb. In contemporary English it's used to talk about calling forth or drawing out a response or reaction from someone:
During the concert (which was amazing) the lead singer gave several impassioned speeches about kindness and acceptance, which elicited roars of approval from the crowd.
— Sherri Leimkuhler, The Carroll County (Maryland) Times, 15 Sept. 2018
Three lost souls with heart-rending stories, they clicked their way to Internet support groups, where they elicited outpourings of sympathy from fellow sufferers.
— Denise Grady, The New York Times, 23 Apr. 1998
The word's original meaning, "to draw or bring out (something latent or potential)," is less common but is still current:
In a side experiment, the researchers treated a Merlot sample with benzothiadiazole—a hormone known to elicit plant defenses—which nearly tripled the Merlot's melatonin levels.
— Jacob Gaffney, Wine Spectator, 15 Oct. 2006
Origins of 'Illicit' and 'Elicit'
The Latin ancestors of this pair are easy to confuse too. Elicit comes from elicitus, illicit from illicitus. But going back just a little further, we find that elicit traces back beyond elicitus to lacere, meaning "to allure," while illicitus comes ultimately from licēre, meaning "to be permitted." (Licēre has another English descendant in licit, meaning "permitted by law"—sensibly, an antonym to illicit.)
And there we have it: two words that sound the same and look similar, but that have very different uses.
Remember that illicit is an adjective and elicit is a verb and you'll be safe. Right? Well, uh, not quite. Though we won't go so far as to say that the language is intentionally obstreperous, it's almost like the distinction was too neat for English to bear: it turns out that elicit exists in adjectival form as well, albeit in an archaic adjectival form. Elicit as an adjective describes an act that proceeds from the will:
Lastly, fasting is an act of many virtues; it is an elicit and proper act of temperance …
— Jeremy Taylor, The Rule of Conscience, 1828
The elicit act is contrasted with the imperate one, which is commanded rather than chosen.
We understand if this last bit of information elicits sighs and moans from our readers, but we accept no blame for the language's intractability.
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression
Illicit – licit – elicit
As is suggested in the entry ILLEGAL
Illicit means “unlawful,” “not sanctioned or authorized,” “improper”:
“Millie was accused of being an illicit trader in cigarettes.”
“You are in illicit territory because this area is off bounds to all personnel.”
Licit means the direct opposite of illicit.
Elicit means “to bring out,” “to draw forth”:
“The judge tried to elicit the truth from this defendant.”
“The politician tried hard to elicit a favorable response from the assembled crowd.”
