oblique

/əˈbliːk/·adjective·15th century·Established

Origin

From Latin oblīquus (slanting, indirect), preserving both its geometric sense of 'at an angle' and i‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍ts rhetorical sense of 'not straightforward.'

Definition

Neither parallel nor at right angles; slanting.‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍ Also, not explicit or direct in meaning.

Did you know?

In military terminology, an 'oblique march' is a diagonal advance — troops moving forward and sideways simultaneously. The tactic was perfected by Frederick the Great of Prussia, who used oblique order to concentrate force against one flank of an enemy line.

Etymology

Latin15th centurywell-attested

From Latin oblīquus, meaning 'slanting, sideways, indirect.' The word is composed of ob- ('against, toward') and a root related to liquis ('oblique, awry'), though the exact formation is debated. Latin oblīquus was used both geometrically (of lines and angles) and rhetorically (of indirect speech). English borrowed it in the 15th century, preserving both senses. In grammar, the 'oblique case' refers to any case other than the nominative — the 'slanting' cases that show a word's relationship to other words in a sentence. Key roots: ob- (Latin: "against, toward"), līquus (Latin: "oblique, awry").

Ancient Roots

ob- (Latin: “against, toward”)līquus (Latin: “oblique, awry”)

This Word in Other Languages

oblique(French)oblicuo(Spanish)obliquo(Italian)

Oblique traces back to Latin ob-, meaning "against, toward", with related forms in Latin līquus ("oblique, awry"). Across languages it shares form or sense with French oblique, Spanish oblicuo and Italian obliquo, evidence of a shared etymological family.

Background

The Etymology of Oblique

Latin oblīquus meant slanting in every sense — geometrically, rhetorically, and morally.‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍ English inherited all three when it borrowed the word in the 15th century. An oblique angle is not a right angle; an oblique remark is not a direct one; an oblique motive is not an honest one. The Latin formation combines ob- ('against') with a root līquus ('awry'), though this second element appears nowhere else in Latin, making oblīquus something of an etymological loner. In grammar, the term 'oblique case' refers to any case other than the nominative — the idea being that the nominative stands upright while other cases lean away from it at an angle. This metaphor of straight versus slanting runs through the entire history of the word and remains active today.

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