amphibology

English

Alternative forms

• amphibologie (obsolete)

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, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
     , 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^[1], London: Edw. Dod & Nath. Ekins, published 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.