Sycophancy
Insincere flattery, once meant a false accuser
Sycophancy
In modern English, sycophant denotes an insincere flatterer and refers to someone practising sycophancy (i.e., insincere flattery to gain an advantage). The word has its origin in the legal system of Classical Athens, where it had a different meaning. Most legal cases of the time were brought by private litigants, as there was no police force and a limited number of appointed public prosecutors. By the fifth century BC, this practice had given rise to abuse by sycophants: litigants who brought unjustified prosecutions. The word retains the same meaning ('slanderer') in Modern Greek, French (where sycophant means 'false accuser', or professional 'informer'), and Italian. In modern English, the meaning of the word has shifted to mean flattery.
Read on Wikipedia · Image Peter Newell, Public domain
Open boosters, collect cards and trade them. Free to play.
Play for free