Ἀμφιβολία
ambiguity, amphiboly
Translated by Jennifer Benedict11 Aug 2000Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
An expression literally and correctly meaning two or more things, so that many things at the same time can be understood by the same expression: such as au)lhtri\s pe/ptwke . For one can mean by this both that a house has fallen down three times and that the female cithara-player [who is also] the piper [has fallen down].1
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀμφιβολία· λέξις δύο ἢ καὶ πλείονα πράγματα σημαίνουσα λεκτικῶς καὶ κυρίως, ὥσθ' ἅμα πλείονα ἐκδέξασθαι κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν λέξιν· οἷον αὐλητρὶς πέπτωκε. δηλοῦται γὰρ δι' αὐτῆς, καὶ ὅτι οἰκία τρὶς πέπτωκε καὶ ὅτι ἡ κιθαρῳδὸς ἡ αὐλοῦσα.