dubious

/ˈdjuːbiəs/·adjective·1540s·Established

Origin

From Latin 'dubius' (uncertain) — analyzed as 'duo' (two) + 'habere' (to hold): literally held between two options.

Definition

Hesitating or doubting; not to be relied upon; of questionable quality or truth.

The Full Story

Latin1540swell-attested

From Latin dubius (uncertain, wavering, in two minds, doubtful), composed of duo (two) from PIE *dwóh₁ (two) and the root of habēre (to have, to hold) — with the compound meaning 'held between two,' unable to settle on either option. The image is spatial and visceral: a dubious person stands between two paths, held by both, committed to neither. The related verb dubitāre (to waver, to doubt) gave English doubt via Old

Did you know?

The silent 'b' in 'doubt' is a Renaissance insertion. Middle English spelled it 'doute' (from French), perfectly reflecting pronunciation. Sixteenth-century scholars added the 'b' to make the word visually resemble its Latin ancestor 'dubitāre.' The 'b'

Dubious Wiki Article· 3 min read

*gʰabʰ- (to give, to receive), the root also behind exhibit, inhibit, and prohibit. Dubious entered English in the mid-16th century directly from Latin, initially in the sense of doubtful outcome, then extended to doubtful character or intention. The modern sense of causing suspicion — a dubious deal — is a semantic shift from epistemological uncertainty to moral suspicion, following the same path as suspicious, which moved from 'inspiring caution' to 'morally untrustworthy.' Key roots: duo (Latin: "two"), habēre (Latin: "to have, to hold"), *dwóh₁ (Proto-Indo-European: "two").

This Word in Other Languages

doubt(English (from Latin dubitare, to waver, same root duo))dual(English (from Latin dualis, of two, PIE *dwóh₁))duel(English (from Medieval Latin duellum, contest of two))duplicate(English (from Latin duplicare, to fold in two))duda(Spanish (doubt, from Latin dubitare))duo(English/Latin (pair of two, direct from Latin))

dubious

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