Consider the oft-quoted statement "the exception proves the rule." Most people take this to mean that the exception confirms the rule, though when you ask them to explain the logic in that statement, they usually cannot. After all, how can an exception prove a rule? It can't. The answer is that an earlier meaning of prove was to test {a meaning preserved in proving ground} and with that meaning the statement suddenly becomes sensible-the exception tests the rule.
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The phrase "the exception proves the rule" is commonly interpreted as meaning that exceptions support the existence of a rule. However, many find it challenging to articulate how an exception can validate a rule. At first glance, it seems contradictory for an exception to substantiate something it does not conform to.
The key to understanding this phrase lies in the historical meaning of the word "prove," which once meant to test. Thus, when we reframe the statement, we see that the exception actually serves as a test of the rule in question, providing a clearer understanding of its validity.
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