Where does “unambiguous” come from?
Unambiguous derives from the prefix un- plus ambiguous, which comes from Latin ambiguus, meaning uncertain or doubtful, from ambigere, to wander about, composed of ambi-, around, from ambo, both, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to drive or go.
unambiguous (English): clear, and having no uncertainty or ambiguity
Definitions
- clear, and having no uncertainty or ambiguity
Ancestry of “unambiguous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ambiguous | Open to multiple interpretations; Vague and... |
| 2 | Latin | ambiguus | going two ways, hither and thither, moving from... |
| 3 | Latin | ambigo | I go about; I wander; I hesitate, waver, doubt |
| 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 |