English
ambiguously
Ambiguously comes from Latin ambig(ō), from agō ‘to act, to behave’, 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 CEambiguu
- English1500–presentambiguous
- Englishearliest quotation 1852ambiguously
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 CEambiguu
- English1500–presentambiguous
- Englishearliest quotation 1852ambiguously
Earliest quotation: 1852, Herman Melville, Book XXVI. A Walk; a Foreign Portrait; a Sail. And the End.: “The Stranger" was a dark, comely, youthful man's head,…”
A compound of ambiguous + -ly
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, agitate, axiomatic, 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, transaction, actively, radioactive, inactive, retroactive, reagent, hyperactivity, 82 more
through Latin agō ‘to act, to behave’
act, action, active, agency, activity, actual, agent, actor, agenda, examination, examine, activate, squat, enact, agile, agility, assay, agitation, radium, actuator, cogent, actuation, inexact, actuate, exigent, redact, 97 more
through English ambiguous
Today it means
adv In an ambiguous manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- / ambiguously