Pitfalls
While the assumption that a word may still be used etymologically can be fallacious, the conclusion from such reasoning is not necessarily false. Some words can retain their meaning for many centuries, with extreme cases like mouse, which denoted the same animal in the Proto-Indo-European language several thousand years ago (as *mūs).
Read more about this topic: Etymological Fallacy
Famous quotes containing the word pitfalls:
“Because relationships are a primary source of self-esteem for girls and women, daughters need to know they will not lose our love if they speak up for what they want to tell us how they feel about things. . . . Teaching girls to make specific requests, rather than being indirect and agreeable, will help them avoid the pitfalls of having to be manipulative and calculating to get what they want.”
—Jeanne Elium (20th century)