(Sic)

Question

What exactly (Sic) means when inserted in a  gramatically faulty sentence. What is its origin.

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

Hello, Akela,
Welcome to the English Forums!
"sic" is a Latin word meaning thus; so (not a mistake and is to be read as it stands)
You use it when you report, quote the exact words of a person.

Senthilvelann · Answer

Hi,

I took it from "urbandictnary.com".

"Square brackets are most commonly used around the word 'sic' (from the Latin 'sicut', meaning 'just as'), to explain the status of an apparent mistake. Generally, sic means the foregoing mistake (or apparent mistake) was made by the writer/speaker I am quoting; I am but the faithful messenger; in fact I never get anything wrong myself. Book reviewers in particular adore to use sic. It makes them feel terrific, because what it means is that they've spotted this apparent mistake, thank you, so there is no point in writing in. However, there are distinctions within sic: it can signify two different things:

1) This isn't a mistake, actually, it just looks like one to the casual eye.
2) Tee hee, what a dreadful error! But it would be dishonest of me to correct it.

~ From 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' by Lynne Truss
1) I am grateful to Mrs *** sic for the following examples.
2) "Please send a copy of The Time's sic," he wrote.

msn
~ Again, from 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' by Lynne Truss

Akela · Answer

Thanks a lot senthilvelann. For the last 30 years I have been trying to get answer to this querry of mine, thanks to EnglishForward in general and to you senthilvelann in particular I could get the answer within three hours of posting! The site suggested by you is just great.
Akela

(Sic)

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