Amphibolia
From TTT
Latin-English
amphĭbŏlĭ|a, -ae. (am.fiˈbo.li.a) fem.
- 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. |
