mumpsimus

English edit

WOTD – 1 April 2007

Etymology edit

Malapropism of Latin sumpsimus,^[1] form of sūmō (“I take”), from a story of an old monk who misrecited the Eucharist with quod in ōre mumpsimus instead of quod in ōre sumpsimus “which we have taken into the mouth”, and stubbornly continued using the incorrect form even after being corrected. Attested 1530 in The Practice of Prelates by William Tyndale, variously attributed to Richard Pace (1517) or Desiderius Erasmus.^[2]

Pronunciation edit

(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌmpsɪməs/
Audio (GA) (file)

Noun edit

mumpsimus (plural mumpsimuses)

A person who obstinately adheres to old ways in spite of clear evidence that they are wrong; an ignorant and bigoted opponent of reform.
An obvious error that is obstinately repeated despite correction.

Antonyms edit

sumpsimus

References edit

^ Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
^ Michael Quinion (March 17, 2001) “Mumpsimus”, in World Wide Words.

[1] Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

[2] Michael Quinion (March 17, 2001) “Mumpsimus”, in World Wide Words.

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