ambages

English

Etymology

From Old French ambages (French ambages), from Latin ambāges, from ambi- + agere (“to drive”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈambɪd͡ʒɪz/

Noun

ambages (plural only)

1. Indirect or roundabout ways of talking; circumlocution.
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Book I, New York 2001, p. 169:

     Having thus briefly anatomized the body and soul of man, [...] I may now freely proceed to treat of my intended subject , to most men's capacity; and after many ambages, perspicuously define what this melancholy is [...].

2. Indirect or roundabout routes or directions.
   • 1993, Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man In Deptford:

     Paris put fear into him, a city of monstrous size to which London was but a market town. Its ambages of streets bewildered.

Translations

indirect or roundabout ways of talking — see circumlocution

indirect or roundabout routes or directions

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Latin

Noun

ambāges (genitive ambāgis); f, third declension

1. circuit (roundabout way)
2. long story
3. circumlocution, evasion, digression
4. ambiguity

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	ambāges	ambāgēs
genitive	ambāgis	ambāgium
dative	ambāgī	ambāgibus
accusative	ambāgim ambāgem	ambāgīs ambāgēs
ablative	ambāgī ambāge	ambāgibus
vocative	ambāges	ambāgēs

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Old French

Etymology

Circa 1355, Borrowing from Latin ambāges.

Noun

ambages m pl

1. circumlocution, ambages (indirect or roundabout ways of talking)

Descendants

• English: ambages (borrowed)
• French: ambages

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Spanish

Etymology

from Latin ambāges

Noun

ambages m pl

1. circumlocution, ambages (indirect or roundabout ways of talking)
2. (rare) ambages (indirect or roundabout routes or directions)

Synonyms

• circunlocución
• circunloquios
• rodeos de palabras
• rodeos

Derived terms

• ambagioso
• hablar con ambages
• sin ambages