heptalemma

See also: Heptalemma

English

Etymology

English hepta- (“seven”) +‎ Ancient Greek λῆμμᾰ (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), as in dilemma, trilemma, tetralemma, etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌhɛptəˈlɛmə/

Noun

heptalemma

1. (Indian logic, rare) A figure that gives an exhaustive enumeration of seven possibilities in a specified situation.
   • 2010, Piotr Balcerowicz, editor, Logic and Belief in Indian Philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, Publishers, →ISBN (10), →ISBN (13), page 150:

     Ṭhāṇ 3.239 offers also a trilemma: (1) to state the truth (tavvayaṇa <tadvacana>), (2) to state the untruth (tadaṇṇavayaṇa <tadanyavacana>), (3) to state something meaningless or negative (no-avayaṇa <no-avacana>); Ṭhāṇ 7.129 a heptalemma: (1) speech (ālāva <ālāpa>), (2) taciturnity (aṇ-ālāva <an-ālāpa>), (3) flattery (ullāva <ullāpa>), (4) insult (aṇ-ullāva <an-ullāpa>), (5) dialogue (saṁlāva <saṁlāpa>), (6) prattle (palāva <pralāpa>), (7) contradiction (vi-ppalāva <vi-pralāpa>).