mendaciloquent

English

Etymology

From Latin mendācium +‎ -loquent, modelled on Latin mendāciloquus.

Adjective

mendaciloquent (comparative more mendaciloquent, superlative most mendaciloquent)

1. (rare, literary) Untruthful in speech.
   • [1656, T[homas] B[lount], Glossographia: or A Dictionary, Interpreting All Such Hard Words, Whether Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, Teutonick, Belgick, British or Saxon, as Are Now Used in Our Refined English Tongue. […], London: […] Tho[mas] Newcomb, and are to be sold by Humphrey Moseley, […], and George Sawbridge […], signature B b 4, recto, column 2:

     Mendaciloquent (mendaciloqus) that tels lies, or untruths, falſe ſpeaking.]

   • 1762, Thomas Gent, The Most Delectable, Scriptural and Pious History of the Famous and Magnificent Great Eastern Window (According to Beautiful Portraitures) in St. Peter’s Cathedral, York: […], [York]: […] [T]he Author, […], →OCLC, page xxiii:

     Nor were theſe all the ſevere Conſequences incident to a ſudden Deprivation: Since Debts being too quickly demanded in Adverſity for what was undeſiredly impoſed by ready Perſons at proſperous Seaſons; and they appearing arm’d with Terror like grim incarcerating Giants, or Cadmean Forces; proved Sources of future Misfortunes, (thro’ baſe Covetouſneſs of my improved Habitation, with fair, neceſſary tho’ degradred Utenſils) or rather Labyrinths of Contumelies, thro’ mendaciloquent Abſurdities of the Envious; […]

   • 1836 April 26, “Misrepresentations and Calumnies of the Brighton Guardian”, in The Brighton Patriot, and Lewes Free Press, […], number 62, Brighton, page [3], column 1:

     The gentleman who conducts the Brighton Guardian gave a tolerable specimen of his mendaciloquent abilities last week; and one cannot help laughing at the fellow’s amazing impudence. We wonder to what lengths he would go, if unchecked by the Patriot. We shall proceed to detect and expose a few of his Mendoza-Pinto-like stories in his last publication:—“HOW TO CONCOCT A BILL. […]”—Brighton Guardian. Now, what will the public say when they learn the fact, that every word in the above extract is false!

   • 1838 August 4, “Daniel O’Connell Again!”, in Woolmer’s Exeter and Plymouth Gazette for the West of England; […], volume XLVIII, number 2431, Exeter, page [2], column 5:

     The paid Patriot of Ireland, fearing that his profitable trade of agitation is not likely to benefit by the settlement of the long-disputed Irish questions, has issued another Missive to the people of that country. He denounces the Poor Law as, “a law to make the destitute more miserable, and to increase the number of the Poor,” and says it has been effected by Wellington and Peel “for the purpose of narrowing the franchise.” He complains, with mendaciloquent indignation, of the Peers, on account of their having raised the franchise, by which, he says, they have “swindled the Irish out of their rights.”

   • 2005 December 11, John Crosbie, “Mr. Layton, beware Grits bearing gifts”, in The Sunday Sun, volume 25, number 345, Winnipeg, Man., page C23, column 2:

     Canadian philosopher Larry Zolf in 1975 gave Canadian socialists a timely warning — “For socialists, going to bed with the Liberals is like having oral sex with a shark.” What was true in 1975 is even truer in 2005, so I pass this warning on to Jack Layton before he gets any cozier with mendaciloquent Martin.

Related terms

• mendaciloquence