fapesmo

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In logic, an indirect mood of the first figure of syllogism: one of the mnemonic words supposed to have been invented by Petrus Hispanus in the thirteenth century, and given in the “Summulæ Logicales” of that author. Every letter in it is significant: the f means that the syllogism is to be reduced to ferio; the a, that the major premise is universal affirmative; the p, that that premise is to be converted per accidens in the reduction; the e, that the minor premise is universal negative; the s, that that premise is to be converted simply; the m, that the two premises are to be transposed in the reduction; and the o, that the conclusion is particular negative. The following is an example of fapesmo: All viviparous marine animals have fins; no fishes are viviparous marine animals; therefore, some animals that have fins are not fishes. Fapesmo, when considered as belonging to the fourth figure, is called fesapo. The rare word fapemo is another name for the mood felapton.