Where did the word dilemma come from?
The word is recorded from the early 16th century, denoting a form of argument involving a choice between equally unfavourable alternatives; it comes via Latin from Greek dilēmma, from di- ‘twice’ + lēmma ‘premise’.
What is the actual meaning of dilemma?
: a situation in which a person has to choose between things that are all bad or unsatisfactory He was faced with the dilemma of having to tell on his best friend, or not telling and getting blamed himself.
What is the origin of the word is?
third person singular present indicative of be, Old English is, from Germanic stem *es- (source also of Old High German, German, Gothic ist, Old Norse es, er), from PIE *es-ti- (source also of Sanskrit asti, Greek esti, Latin est, Lithuanian esti, Old Church Slavonic jesti), third person singular form of root *es- “to …
Where did on the horns of a dilemma come from?
horns of a dilemma, on the In the sixteenth century Nicholas Udall, translator of Erasmus, turned it into a horned question: “Because that to whether of both partyes a bodye shall make a direct aunswere, he shall renne on the sharpe poyncte of a horne.” Soon thereafter it began to be called “the horns of a dilemma.”
Where and when did the dilemma begin?
The term dilemma is attributed by Gabriel Nuchelmans to Lorenzo Valla in the 15th century, in later versions of his logic text traditionally called Dialectica. Valla claimed that it was the appropriate Latin equivalent of the Greek dilemmaton.
Is dilemma a problem?
A dilemma is a difficult choice between unattractive alternatives. A problem is a situation that must be resolved somehow.
Does dilemma mean problem?
Word forms: dilemmas A dilemma is a difficult situation in which you have to choose between two or more alternatives. He was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to return to his country. Synonyms: predicament, problem, difficulty, spot [informal] More Synonyms of dilemma.
Are Lemma and dilemma related?
As nouns the difference between dilemma and lemma is that dilemma is a circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable while lemma is (mathematics) a proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.
How do I find the origin of a word?
How to find the etymology of a word
- Research etymological dictionaries. Here are some to try: LibrarySpot Etymology Dictionaries.
- Look up the root words of your topic. Explore the history and evolution of your keywords. Get the true sense of how these words were born and evolved over time.
- Work with those words.
What is the meaning of the idiom a hot potato?
a problem, situation, etc. that is difficult to deal with and causes a lot of disagreement: The abortion issue is a political hot potato in the United States. Difficult things and people. a (heavy) cross to bear idiom.
Where does beyond the pale originate?
The phrase was in use by the mid-17th century, and is a reference to the general sense of boundary (outside of the palisades), but is sometimes understood to refer specifically to the English Pale in Ireland, as well as the Pale of Settlement in Imperial Russia.
What kind of dilemmas are there?
Common types of dilemmas include classic, ethical, and moral.
What is an example of a dilemma?
The definition of a dilemma is a situation where there is no clear easy choice or answer. An example of a dilemma is when you only have two extra tickets to an event and three friends that want to go. YourDictionary definition and usage example.
What is the word dilemma?
Usage note. The word dilemma combines di-, a prefix meaning “two,” with lemma, meaning “a proposition, theme, or subject.”. Our world is filled with propositions, themes, and subjects—matters about which we have to make a variety of decisions as we move through life.
What is dilemma in literature?
In literature, dilemma is a struggle occurring within the mind of a character. Therefore, it gives readers an insight into characters’ lives. There may be a single or multiple dilemmas in a story. However, the purpose is to create a tension and complexity in a narrative by adding confusing and conflicting ideas.
When did dilemna spelling change?
The wrong spelling (‘dilemna’) shows up in a few books in the Google Book Corpus—not a lot of books—it peaked around 1980 and has fallen since, but it’s in what I can only call “serious publications”: court reports, books that look like they came from academic presses, journal articles, and so on.