Is there a name for misusing a word (e.g., saying "Provincially, yes")? [closed]
I read a mail in which someone replied to the question "Will he be attending the party?" by saying "Provincially, yes".
Provincial means "of or concerning the regions outside the capital city of a country, especially when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded", but neither the natural nor the pejorative meaning seems to fit here.
What was meant? And is there a name for abusing the language in this way?
It's a malapropism and should read Provisionally, "subject to further confirmation, for the time being."