different between myth vs mistake

English

Alternative forms

• mythe (rare or archaic)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ????? (mûthos, “word, humour, companion, speech, account, rumour, fable”). Attested in English since 1830. Doublet of mythos.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?th, IPA^(key): /m??/
• Rhymes: -??

Noun

myth (plural myths)

1. A traditional story which embodies a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the soul are personified; a sacred narrative regarding a god, a hero, the origin of the world or of a people, etc.
2. (uncountable) Such stories as a genre.

   Myth was the product of man's emotion and imagination, acted upon by his surroundings. (E. Clodd, Myths & Dreams (1885), 7, cited after OED)

3. A commonly-held but false belief, a common misconception; a fictitious or imaginary person or thing; a popular conception about a real person or event which exaggerates or idealizes reality.

   Synonym: misconception

   Scientists debunk the myth that gum stays in the human stomach for seven years.

4. A person or thing held in excessive or quasi-religious awe or admiration based on popular legend

   Father Flanagan was legendary, his institution an American myth. (Tucson (Arizona) Citizen, 20 September 1979, 5A/3, cited after OED)

5. A person or thing existing only in imagination, or whose actual existence is not verifiable.
   • 1849, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, The Caxtons

     As for Mrs. Primmins's bones, they had been myths these twenty years.

6. An invented story, theory, or concept.

   His story is a pure myth.

Related terms

Translations

See also

• legend

Further reading

• myth in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• myth in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• "myth" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 210.

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /m???/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /mi??/

Noun

myth

1. Nasal mutation of byth.

Mutation

English

Etymology

From Middle English mistaken, from Old Norse mistaka (“to take in error, to miscarry”); equivalent to mis- +? take. Cognate with Icelandic mistaka (“to mistake”), Swedish missta (“to mistake”) (before apocope misstaga). Displaced Middle English misnimen and Middle English misf?n from Old English misf?n (and noun misfeng).

The noun, which replaced earlier mistaking, is derived from the verb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??ste?k/
• Rhymes: -e?k

Verb

mistake (third-person singular simple present mistakes, present participle mistaking, simple past mistook, past participle mistaken)

1. (transitive) To understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
   • c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2,^[1]

     My father’s purposes have been mistook;

   • 1777, Samuel Johnson, “Life of the Author” in The Works of Richard Savage with an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, London: T. Evans, Volume I, p. lxi,^[2]

     The reigning error of his life was, that he mistook the love for the practice of virtue, and was indeed not so much a good man, as the friend of goodness.

2. (transitive, obsolete) To misunderstand (someone).
   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act II, Scene 3,^[3]

     Mistake me not, my lord; ’tis not my meaning

     To raze one title of your honour out:

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 1, Book 3, Chapter 6, pp. 122-123,^[4]

     […] at last she so evidently demonstrated her Affection to him to be much stronger than what she bore her own Son, that it was impossible to mistake her any longer.

3. (intransitive, obsolete) To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
   • c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, Act V, Scene 1,^[5]

     Impose me to what penance your invention

     Can lay upon my sin: yet sinn’d I not

     But in mistaking.

   • 1720, Jonathan Swift, “Letter to a Young Clergyman” in The Works of Jonathan Swift, London: Charles Elliot, 1784, Volume 10, pp. 6-7,^[6]

     No gentleman thinks it is safe or prudent to send a servant with a message, without repeating it more than once, and endeavouring to put it into terms brought down to the capacity of the bearer; yet, after all this care, it is frequent for servants to mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstandings among friends […]

4. (obsolete, rare) To take or choose wrongly.
   • c. 1596, William Shakespeare, King John, Act III, Scene 1,^[7]

     The better act of purposes mistook

     Is to mistake again; though indirect,

     Yet indirection thereby grows direct,

   • 1716, Alexander Pope (translator), The Iliad of Homer, London: Bernard Lintott, Volume 2, Book 8, lines 151-152, p. 252,^[8]

     The Spear with erring Haste mistook its way,

     But plung’d in Eniopeus’ Bosom lay.

Translations

Related terms

• mistaken

Noun

mistake (plural mistakes)

1. An error; a blunder.
   • 1877, Henry Heth, quoting Robert E. Lee, in "Causes of the Defeat of Gen. Lee's Army at the Battle of GettysburgOpinions of Leading Confederate Soldiers.", Southern Historical Society Papers (1877), editor Rev. J. WM. Jones [9]

     After it is all over, as stupid a fellow as I am can see that mistakes were made. I notice, however, that my mistakes are never told me until it is too late.

2. (baseball) A pitch which was intended to be pitched in a hard-to-hit location, but instead ends up in an easy-to-hit place.

Usage notes

• Usually make a mistake. See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:error

Derived terms

• mistakeless
• make no mistake
• spelling mistake

Translations

Anagrams

• ketmias, makes it

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English mistake.

Noun

mistake m (plural mistakes)

1. (Louisiana, Cajun French) error, mistake