Where does “ambages” come from?
ambages (English) comes from Middle English ambages, from Old French ambages, from Latin ambāges, from Latin ambi-, from Latin ambō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts — on, onto.
ambages (English): Indirect or roundabout ways of talking;...
Definitions
- Indirect or roundabout ways of talking;...
Ancestry of “ambages”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ambages | — |
| 2 | Old French | ambages | circumlocution, ambages |
| 3 | Latin | ambāges | an indirect, roundabout path; a wandering to and fro, twists and turns |
| 4 | Latin | ambi- | around, about |
| 5 | Latin | ambō | both |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |