List of English Words With Disputed Usage - B

B

• barbaric and barbarous – Barbaric applies to the culture of barbarians and may be positive ("barbaric splendor"); barbarous applies to the behavior of barbarians and is negative ("barbarous cruelty"). This is standard English usage. However, M-W equates the third meaning of "barbaric" with the third of "barbarous", that is, "mercilessly harsh or cruel"; COD11 and Chambers list "savagely cruel" and "cruel and brutal; excessively harsh or vicious", respectively, as the first meanings for "barbaric". Only AHD4 disallows this usage, and without comment.
  • Undisputed. The environment of the venue was barbaric.
  • Undisputed. Terrorism is barbarous.
  • Disputed. Capital punishment is a disgusting, barbaric measure.

• begging the question. In logic, begging the question is another term for petitio principii or arguing in a circle, in other words making assumptions in advance about the very issue in dispute. Now often used to mean simply leading to the question.
  • Undisputed. You argue that Christianity must be true because the Bible says so. Isn't that begging the question?
  • Disputed. You want to go to the theatre. That begs the question which day we should go.

• but – Some prescriptivists argue that if and should not be used to begin sentences, then neither should but. These words are both conjunctions; thus, they believe that they should be used only to link clauses within a sentence. AHD4 states that "it may be used to begin a sentence at all levels of style.".