amphibologyamphibology

Amphibology comes from Ancient Greek ἀμφιβολία ‘ambiguity’, from ἀμφίβολος ‘wavering, hesitant, uncertain’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’.

1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-reconstructed
3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω‘to throw’
5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμφιβάλλω‘to waver, to hesitate’
6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμφίβολος‘wavering, hesitant, uncertain’
7. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμφιβολίαamphibolía‘ambiguity’
8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamphibologia
9. Frenchc. 1600–presentamphibologie
10. Englishearliest quotation 1603amphibology