obscurum per obscurius
Very low (Academic/Latin phrases)Formal, academic, literary
Definition
Meaning
Explaining something obscure by means of something even more obscure.
A logical fallacy or unhelpful explanation where one unclear concept is clarified using another equally or more unclear concept; often used in academic, philosophical, or technical criticism of poor explanations.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always used as a criticism of flawed explanation or reasoning; implies the speaker/writer has failed to clarify and instead deepened confusion. It is a fixed Latin phrase used in English scholarly contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage; used in identical scholarly contexts in both regions.
Connotations
Academic pretentiousness or failure to communicate clearly; slightly more common in British humanities due to stronger classical education traditions.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both varieties; slightly higher occurrence in British academic philosophy/theology texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] commits obscurum per obscurius by [gerund phrase][Subject]'s explanation is classic obscurum per obscuriusVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To shed darkness on the subject (humorous variant)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; might appear in criticism of overly complex corporate jargon.
Academic
Primary context: philosophy, theology, literary theory to critique poor arguments.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Occasionally in legal writing criticizing vague statutes.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The lecturer obscurum per obscurius-ed the entire Kantian dilemma.
- He tends to obscurum per obscurius when questioned directly.
American English
- The author obscurum per obscurius-es every theoretical point.
- They obscurum per obscurius-ed the methodology section.
adverb
British English
- He explained the concept obscurum per obscurius.
- The manual was written obscurum per obscurius.
American English
- She argued obscurum per obscurius throughout the debate.
- The instructions were presented obscurum per obscurius.
adjective
British English
- His obscurum-per-obscurius explanation left everyone baffled.
- That was an obscurum-per-obscurius approach to the problem.
American English
- Her obscurum-per-obscurius reasoning didn't convince anyone.
- It's an obscurum-per-obscurius method of clarification.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This explanation is too hard. It does not help.
- The teacher's explanation was confusing. He made it more difficult to understand.
- The philosopher's attempt to clarify consciousness resulted in obscurum per obscurius, confusing readers further.
- Her thesis commits the fallacy of obscurum per obscurius by using Derridean deconstruction to explain quantum mechanics.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine trying to explain a dark room (obscurum) by pointing to an even darker cave (obscurius)—you just make things less clear.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLARITY IS LIGHT; CONFUSION IS DARKNESS (using darkness to explain darkness)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'тёмное через более тёмное'—it loses the logical fallacy meaning.
- Equivalent Russian rhetorical concept: 'объяснять непонятное ещё более непонятным'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a compliment (it's always critical)
- Misspelling as 'obscurum per obscurio'
- Applying it to simple confusion rather than failed explanation
Practice
Quiz
In which situation would 'obscurum per obscurius' be appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a Latin phrase used within English scholarly discourse, similar to 'ad hoc' or 'de facto'—fully adopted into English academic vocabulary.
No, it would sound pretentious and obscure (ironically). It's strictly for formal academic or critical writing.
Both are logical fallacies. 'Begging the question' assumes the conclusion in the premise, while 'obscurum per obscurius' explains something unclear with something even more unclear.
In English contexts, pronounce 'per' as /pɜːr/ (British) or /pɚr/ (American), like the English preposition 'per', not with Latin vowel sounds.