Amphibolia

Latin-English

amphĭbŏlĭ|a, -ae. (am.fiˈbo.li.a) fem.

1. Ambiguity.

[Greek ἀμφιβολία.]

Loci

• αʹ Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 7.9:

Accusativi geminatione facta amphibolia solvitur ablativo, ut illud "Lachetem audivi percussisse Demean" fiat "a Lachete percussum Demean".

Ambiguity created by doubling an accusative is resolved with an ablative, so that Lachetem audivi percussisse Demean ['Demea Laches struck, I heard'] may become a Lachete percussum Demean ['...Demea was struck by Laches'].

• βʹ Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 7.9:

Sed ablativo ipsi, ut in primo diximus, inest naturalis amphibolia: "caelo decurrit aperto": utrum per apertum caelum an cum apertum esset.

But in the ablative itself there is an innate ambiguity, as whether caelo decurrit aperto ['clear the sky he descended'] means he descended through a clear sky or while it was clear.