amphibology
(ˌæmfɪˈbɒlədʒɪ)
[a. Fr. amphibologie, ad. late L. amphibologia (Isidore), for earlier amphibolia (Cic.), a. Gr. ἀµϕιβολία ambiguity, with the ending -logia, Gr. -λογία speech, by form-assoc. with tautologia, etc. Also found in the Latin form.]
1. = amphiboly 1.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 1406 For goddes speken in amphibologies, And for o soth, they tellen twenty lyes. 1552 Latimer Serm. Lord's Prayer vii. II. 112 It is an amphibologia, and therefore Erasmus turneth it into Latin with such words. 1665 Glanvill Sceps. Sci. 115 That the mind be not misled by amphibologies. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v., The English language..is not so capable of any amphibologies of this kind. 1864 J. H. Newman Apol. Vita App. 86 Nothing is adduced..for the lawful use of Amphibologies. |
2. = amphiboly 2.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie (Arb.) 267 Such ambiguous termes they call Amphibologia, we call it the ambiguous, or figure of sence incertaine. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 13 The fallacie of æquivocation and Amphibologie. 1654 Lestrange Charles I, 71 Giving him a quaint wipe with the amphibology, the double-mindednesse of the word ‘dux.’ 1870 Jevons Elem. Logic xx. 172 The fallacy of Amphibology consists in an ambiguous grammatical structure of a sentence which produces misconception. |