Where does “problematical” come from?
Problematical derives from English problematic, which comes from Ancient Greek προβληματικός, from προβλήμα meaning "something thrown forward," from προβάλλω and βάλλω meaning "to throw."
problematical (English): doubtful or disputed; dubious or ambiguous
Definitions
- doubtful or disputed; dubious or ambiguous
Ancestry of “problematical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | problēmaticus | problematic |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | προβληματικός | of or for a problem, problematic |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πρόβλημα | anything thrown forward or projecting; anything... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | προβάλλω | to throw or lay before, throw to; to put forward... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πρό- | in front of; before |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πρό | before; before, in front, forth, forward; before,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pró | toward, leading to |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |