Forms: 6–7 logomachie, 7– logomachy; also 7–8 in Latin form logomachia. Pl. -ies; also 8 -ys. [ad. Gr. λογομαχία, f. λόγο-ς word + -μαχία fighting.]
1. Contention about words; an instance of this.
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, 169. Of so high a science they have made a certaine Logomachie.
1675. T. Tully, Let. Baxter, 16. Which you seem to place amongst your Logomachies, or Logicall notions.
1711. trans. Werenfels (title), A Discourse of Logomachys, or Controversies about Words.
1776. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., III. Arianism, 25. The Sophistry call’s Logomochia [sic], or punning with and upon Words.
1722. Sewel, Hist. Quakers (1795), I. II. 122. This quarrel tending to vain logomachies … ended in confusion.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., III. xv. § 1 (1876), 341. The reproach of logomachy which is brought … against the speculations of political economists.
1882. M. Arnold, Irish Ess., Pref. p. xi. The barren logomachies of Plato’s Theætetus are relieved by half a dozen immortal pages.
1901. Contemp. Rev., Aug., 289. It shows how much of mere logomachy there is in these disputes.
2. ? U.S. ‘A game of cards each containing one letter with which words are formed’ (Cent. Dict.).
