來自希臘語 sophos,有知識的,有智慧的,來自 PIE*sap,嘗試,品嘗,鑒別,詞源同 sapient, 有智慧的。-ist,人。字面意思即有智慧的人,智者,哲人,后詞義多用于貶義化指詭辯家, 詭辯者。
Sophists taught before the development of logic and grammar, when skill in reasoning and in disputation could not be accurately distinguished, and thus they came to attach great value to quibbles, which soon brought them into contempt. [Century Dictionary]