Where does “amphiboly” come from?
amphiboly (English) comes from Old French amphibolie, from Latin amphibolia, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιβολία, from Ancient Greek ἀμφίβολος, from Ancient Greek ἀμφί, from Ancient Greek ὀξύς, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ- — sharp.
amphiboly (English): An ambiguous grammatical construction
Definitions
- An ambiguous grammatical construction
Ancestry of “amphiboly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | amphibolie | — |
| 2 | Latin | amphibolia | ambiguity |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀμφιβολία | ambiguity |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀμφίβολος | dubious, doubtful; wavering, hesitant, uncertain |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀμφί | |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀξύς | sharp, pointed; sharp, keen; quick, hasty, swift |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |