[mod. ad. Gr. κακολογία evil speaking, vituperation, f. κακολόγος speaking evil, slanderous; = F. cacologie. The mod. use takes bad grammatically, not ethically.]
† 1. Evil report. Obs.
1623. Cockeram, Cacologie, ill report.
1656–81. Blount, Glossogr., Cacology, evill speech or report, detraction.
2. Bad speaking, bad choice of words; vicious pronunciation.
1775. in Ash.
1826. Praed, Poems (1865), I. 263. Bishop Bembo mended her cacology.
1837. Fraser’s Mag., XV. 521. Cacology amused the frequenters of the Haymarket Theatre.
1856. J. W. Croker, in Croker Papers (1884), I. i. 6. One Knowles, who … professed to remedy cacology and teach elocution.
