English
dialectical
Dialectical comes from Latin dialecticus, from Ancient Greek δῐᾰλεκτῐκός ‘Skilled in dialectic’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω‘to say, to speak’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδιαλέγομαι
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδῐᾰλεκτῐκός‘Skilled in dialectic’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdialecticus
- Englishearliest quotation 1661dialectical
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω‘to say, to speak’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδιαλέγομαι
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδῐᾰλεκτῐκός‘Skilled in dialectic’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdialecticus
- Englishearliest quotation 1661dialectical
Earliest quotation: 1661, Robert Boyle, London: […] J. Cadwell for J. Crooke: “For I, and no doubt You, have long obſerved,…”
Formed from dialecticus + -al
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’
election, collection, elite, lesson, logic, eligible, apology, select, collect, trilogy, elegant, sociology, coil, legion, terminology, negligence, physiology, pathology, analogy, logos, elect, negligent, monologue, negligible, prologue, pathologist, archaeologist, diligent, leach, eulogy, cull, etymology, epistemology, entomology, logistic, homologous, etiology, lignite, lignin, legation, 164 more
through Ancient Greek λέγω ‘to say, to speak’
technology, catalogue, astrology, epilogue, cosmology, lexicon, gynecologist, lexical, lexis, alexia, dialogic, 20 more
Today it means
adj Of or pertaining to dialectic; (in philosophy) logically reasoned through the exchange of opposing ideas.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / dialectical