Factoid

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It is often said that the Great Wall of China is visible to the naked eye from the moon.

The term factoid ( English factoid ) means in common usage a false or apparently correct statement that is passed off as fact; But this can also mean true, albeit very insignificant or trivial information or news.

background

The term was coined by Norman Mailer in 1973 to denote information that is only accepted as fact on the basis of frequent assertions, when it is not true, or a fabricated fact that is believed to be true because it appears to be proven by written sources. Since then, the term has also been used in English to denote insignificant information.

In his Marilyn Monroe biography, Mailer described factoids as facts without existence before they appeared in a magazine or newspaper. The Washington Times explains that the word refers to "something that looks like a fact, could be a fact, but in fact is not a." fact ”).

Accordingly, factoids can result from general misunderstandings or wrong opinions as well as urban legends or produce them. The meaning of the term in English has since varied. In 1993, William Safire declared several variants:

  • meant as an accusation: disinformation presented as fact or a fraudulent statistic.
  • Understood neutrally: apparently, but not necessarily a fact
  • CNN version: unknown and insignificant but interesting information.

Historian Dion Smythe understands factoids as assertions of fact based on primary sources. Understood in this way, the truth content of factoids does not arise from reality, but only from actual statements about reality.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ factoid: definition of factoid in Merriam-Webster Dictionary (US) . Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ factoid: definition of factoid in Oxford dictionary (American English) . Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  3. ^ Paul Dickson: The origins of writerly words. In: Time Magazine. April 30, 2014, ( time.com accessed on 14 November 2015).
  4. ↑ David Marsh: A factoid is not a small fact. Fact. A factoid is subtly different from a trivial fact, whatever Steve Wright may claim . In: The Guardian , January 17, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014. 
  5. ^ Norman Mailer: Marilyn: A Biography . Grosset & Dunlap, 1973, ISBN 0-448-01029-1 .
  6. ↑ Wesley Pruden: Ah, there's joy in Mudville's precincts . In: The Washington Times , January 23, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2012. 
  7. ^ A b c d William Safire: On Language; Only the factoids . In: The New York Times , December 5, 1993. Retrieved June 15, 2014. 
  8. ↑ Dion Smythe: A Whiter Shade of Pale. Issues and Opportunities in Prosopography . Unit for Prosopographical Research, Linacre College, University of Oxford.