ambigue

Forms

ambiguē (comparative ambiguius, superlative ambiguissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ambiguus (“doubtful, ambiguous”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective,^[2][3][4] which comes from ambigō (“to dispute; to be in doubt”).^[5][4] De Vaan lists both among the derivatives of agō (“to drive, do”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Cicero,^[4] who writes that many things are said ambiguously;^[7][8] the Rhetorica ad Herennium also has nec esse ambigue scriptum, “and that it is not written ambiguously”.^[7][8]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is of words with a double or doubtful meaning, used by Cicero, Horace and Livy.^[7][2] Livy and Tacitus use it of fighting with an uncertain outcome, and Livy's haud ambigue means “unmistakably”.^[7][3] Tacitus also uses it of legions acting in an unreliable way.^[7][8] Later Aurelius Victor writes of answering ambiguously, and Hilary of Poitiers of things said ambiguously in Hebrew.^[2][9] Medieval writers in Britain use it of arguing ambiguously in logic.^[10]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of things said ambiguously.^[7][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy has nec ambiguē est victus, of a clear defeat.^[7][2][4]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of fighting with an uncertain outcome.^[7][2][4]
• c. 315–367/368 AD – Hilary of Poitiers uses it of the Hebrew text.^[9][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Ambiguously, with a doubtful meaning, equivocally.^[7][2][3]
2. With a doubtful outcome, indecisively;^[7][3] haud ambiguē, unmistakably.^[7][3]
3. In an unreliable or wavering way.^[7][8]

Related words

• ambiguus
• ambigō
• ambiguitās

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press