bias
/ˈbaɪ.əs/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
epikarsios — oblique or slanted
Overview
Meaning Now
- A disproportionate weight in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
- A cut of fabric diagonal to the grain of the weave, causing it to stretch or drape differently.
Literal older meaning
slant or slope
Language path
Ancient Greek → Old French → Middle French → English
Earliest form
bias
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term originated in the game of bowls, where a bowl was intentionally weighted on one side (the 'bias') to make it move in a curved path. This physical 'slant' provided the perfect metaphor for the psychological 'inclination' or 'prejudice' that causes one's judgment to veer away from neutral objectivity.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
epikarsios
“transverse, oblique”
Root concept of being 'slanting'.
- Old French
biais
“slope, slant, or deviation”
The primary intermediate stage for the English borrowing.
- Middle English
bias
“a weight on one side of a bowling ball”
Used in the context of the game of bowls where a weighted side makes the ball curve.
- 18th century
bias
“prejudice or mental inclination”
Metaphorical extension from physical deviation to mental preference.
Connections
Related across languages
French
biais
slope, slant, or way/method
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Related to bias
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.