2023-03-26 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด I – Illicit – licit – elicit


Revision I

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’

 

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.”


 

Common Errors in English Usage.

Elicit & Illicit

The lawyer tries to elicit 

a description of the attacker from the witness. 

Elicit” is always a verb. 

Illicit,” in contrast, is always an adjective 

describing something illegal or naughty


 

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

EDUCEEVOKEELICITEXTRACTEXTORT 

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 by combining 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

LAWFULLEGALLEGITIMATELICIT 

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 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 gamblingrelationshipactivities

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 caseillicit 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 contemporary English, 

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 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 mood related 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.

หมายเลขบันทึก: 712084เขียนเมื่อ 26 มีนาคม 2023 12:08 น. ()แก้ไขเมื่อ 26 มีนาคม 2023 12:08 น. ()สัญญาอนุญาต: สงวนสิทธิ์ทุกประการจำนวนที่อ่านจำนวนที่อ่าน:


ความเห็น (0)

ไม่มีความเห็น

อนุญาตให้แสดงความเห็นได้เฉพาะสมาชิก
พบปัญหาการใช้งานกรุณาแจ้ง LINE ID @gotoknow
ClassStart
ระบบจัดการการเรียนการสอนผ่านอินเทอร์เน็ต
ทั้งเว็บทั้งแอปใช้งานฟรี
ClassStart Books
โครงการหนังสือจากคลาสสตาร์ท