English
ambiguity
Ambiguity comes from Latin ambiguitās ‘ambiguity, uncertainty, equivocalness’, from ambiguus ‘going two ways, hither and thither, moving…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*agō‘to drive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagō‘to act, to behave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambig(ō)
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiguus‘going two ways, hither and thither, moving from side-to-side’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiguitās‘ambiguity, uncertainty, equivocalness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ambiguite
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ambiguite
- Englishearliest quotation 1513ambiguity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*agō‘to drive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagō‘to act, to behave’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambig(ō)
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiguus‘going two ways, hither and thither, moving from side-to-side’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiguitās‘ambiguity, uncertainty, equivocalness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ambiguite
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ambiguite
- Englishearliest quotation 1513ambiguity
Earliest quotation: 1513, Henry Bradshaw: “Whan this ſayd monument diſcouered was / Suche a…”
Formed from ambiguous + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-
…
Proto-Italic *agō ‘to drive’
Latin agō ‘to act, to behave’
Latin ambig(ō)
Latin ambiguus ‘moving from side to side, of doubtful nature’
English ambiguous
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-
suggest, register, essay, acre, gesture, congestion, digest, agrarian, progesterone, gestation, ingestion, belligerent, ingest, axiomatic, agitate, agger, samaj, gerund, gestion, 130 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
strategy, agony, antagonist, reactionary, axiom, antagonism, agonist, antagonize, stratagem, glucagon, agonize, 104 more
through Proto-Italic *agō ‘to drive’
reaction, actively, transaction, radioactive, inactive, retroactive, reagent, hyperactivity, 82 more
through Latin agō ‘to act, to behave’
act, action, active, agency, actual, agent, actor, activity, agenda, examination, examine, activate, squat, enact, agile, assay, agitation, agility, radium, actuator, cogent, actuation, inexact, actuate, redact, exigent, 97 more
through Latin ambig(ō)
Today it means
noun The state of being ambiguous; the state of leaving room for more than one interpretation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- / ambiguity