amphibology

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French amphibologie, from late Latin amphibologia, earlier amphibolia, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιβολία (amphibolía, “ambiguity”).

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /amfɪˈbɒlədʒi/

Noun

amphibology (countable and uncountable, plural amphibologies)

  1. (archaic) Amphiboly.
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
      , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.133:
      In Athens men learn'd […] to resolve a sophisticall argument, and to confound the imposture and amphibologie of words, captiously enterlaced together […].
    • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, London: Edw. Dod & Nath. Ekins, 1650, Book I, Chapter 4, p. 10,
      […] there are but two [fallacies] worthy our notation; and unto which the rest may be referred: that is the fallacie of Æquivocation and Amphibologie; which conclude from the ambiguity of some one word, or the ambiguous syntaxis of many put together.
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