ambiguous: [16] Ambiguous carries the etymological notion of ‘wandering around uncertainly’. It comes ultimately from the Latin compound verb ambigere, which was formed from the prefix ambi- (as in AMBIDEXTROUS) and the verb agere ‘drive, lead’ (a prodigious source of English words, including act and agent). From the verb was derived the adjective ambiguus, which was borrowed directly into English. The first to use it seems to have been Sir Thomas More: ‘if it were now doubtful and ambiguous whether the church of Christ were in the right rule of doctrine or not’ A dialogue concerning heresies 1528. => act, agent
ambiguous (adj.)
1520s, from Latin ambiguus "having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful," adjective derived from ambigere "to dispute about," literally "to wander," from ambi- "about" (see ambi-) + agere "drive, lead, act" (see act). Sir Thomas More (1528) seems to have first used it in English, but ambiguity dates back to c. 1400. Related: Ambiguously; ambiguousness.
雙語例句
1. The manifesto is long-winded, repetitious and often ambiguous or poorly drafted.
這份聲明冗長繁復(fù)，多處存在歧義或行文拙劣。
來自柯林斯例句
2. This agreement is very ambiguous and open to various interpretations.
這份協(xié)議非常含糊，可以有多種解釋。
來自柯林斯例句
3. However, the evidence is thin and, to some extent, ambiguous.
然而，這個證據(jù)難以令人信服，而且有點模棱兩可。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Students have ambiguous feelings about their role in the world.
學生們對于自己在這個世界上的角色認識模糊不清。
來自柯林斯例句
5. The Foreign Secretary's remarks clarify an ambiguous statement issued earlier this week.