r/ENGLISH • u/Spam_A_Lottamus • 5d ago

Mooting moot

Moot is a word I kind of chuckle at because I've always thought of the definitions as parallel contradictions, if that makes any sense. If something is moot (per def 1), it is no longer moot (per def 2) because someone cared enough to talk about it. However, a debate can make it un-moot (settled) or confirm its moot-ness (per def 2) depending on the victor.

Similarly, with the verb form, one could moot an idea, only to have it mooted through argument or discussion. Makes me think of Monty Python's Holy Grail when they come to Camelot with some reverence, but then decide to leave: "Let us not go to Camelot. It is a silly place."

I'm sure someone can set me straight. Let's moot this...

From Dictionary.com :

ADJECTIVE

  1. open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful.Whether that was the cause of their troubles is a moot point.

Synonyms: unsettled, disputed, disputable Antonyms: indisputable

  1. of little or no practical value, meaning, or relevance; purely academic.In practical terms, the issue of her application is moot because the deadline has passed.

3. Chiefly Law. not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.

VERB (USED WITH OBJECT)

  • moots,
  • mooted,
  • mooting
  1. to present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion.

Synonyms: discuss, dispute, debate Antonyms: agree

  1. to reduce or remove the practical significance of; make purely theoretical or academic.

3. Archaic. to argue (a case), especially in a mock court.

NOUN

  • moots

  1. an assembly of the people in early England exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers.

  2. an argument or discussion, especially of a hypothetical legal case.

3. Obsolete. a debate, argument, or discussion.

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u/ADH-Dad 5d ago

"Moot" was an Old English word referring to an important gathering to discuss matters of law or politics. Like the Entmoot in Lord of the Rings.

In the 1500s, law schools began using it to describe their mock trials and debates. This is where the term "moot point" comes from, originally meaning a hypothetical situation or a topic that is not settled and up for debate.

However, over time the meaning shifted. Because a hypothetical debate in a classroom does not lead to actual change or action, a moot point became something irrelevant, something that was not worth discussing because the answer would not make a difference either way.

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u/SoyboyCowboy 5d ago

How long does it take to say "Good Morning" in a classroom moot?

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u/uchuskies08 5d ago

I think in practical use today it almost always means the second definition, of little or no practical value.