Langimage
English

amphibolia

|am-phi-bo-li-a|

C2

🇺🇸

/ˌæm.fɪˈboʊ.li.ə/

🇬🇧

/ˌæm.fɪˈbəʊ.li.ə/

grammatical ambiguity

Etymology
Etymology Information

'amphibolia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'amphibolos,' where 'amphi-' meant 'both' and 'ballein' meant 'to throw.'

Historical Evolution

'amphibolos' transformed into the Latin word 'amphibolia,' and eventually became the modern English word 'amphibolia.'

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to throw both ways,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'grammatical ambiguity.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a sentence or phrase that is grammatically ambiguous, often leading to multiple interpretations.

The phrase 'I saw the man with the telescope' is an example of amphibolia.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/07/21 04:06