Re: Refutations and the Middle J (was Re: Another Alxasaurus query & others)

[Philidor11@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/10/99 9:22:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jjackson@interalpha.co.uk writes:

<< New evidence comes around and may either support a previous hypothesis,
 > refute/reject it, or be equivocal. >> >>

May I suggest there is a word which indicates a contrary argument but does not
indicate that the concept being considered has been permanently refuted?  The
verb   is rebut, and a concept may be rebuted without a decision being
reached.  The counter-argument itself is a rebuttal.
Since refute is final, I think rebut is a better opposite to support.  (Some
dictionaries include refute as a secondary meaning of rebut, but don't you
believe them.)