4 ms·

I guess a pet peeve of mine, the Di, in Dialectic refers specifically to two-valued logic, resolving to a truth or false. Which at least in the case of Jain ph

I guess a pet peeve of mine, the Di, in Dialectic refers specifically to two-valued logic, resolving to a truth or false. Which at least in the case of Jain philosophy, with 3 basic truth values true, false, and unassertable, so really these traditions are not necessarily dialectic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaina_seven-valued_logic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaina_seven-valued_logic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anekantavada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anekantavada

svat 7y ago
It does not appear to be the case that the “di” in “dialectic” (unlike, say, the “di” in “dilemma”) refers to the number “two”. According to Etymonline and many other dictionaries (follow links from https://www.onelook.com/?w=dialectic https://www.onelook.com/?w=dialectic), the word comes via Latin ultimately from Greek dialektos, “discourse, conversation”. This in turn is formed with the prefix dia- (“across, between”), also found in words like diagonal, diameter, dialogue, diagnosis, adiabatic, diabetes, diarrhea, diacritic. This prefix dia- in turn may indeed be cognate with bi or di-, but at any rate the “di” in “dialectic” does not directly refer to “two”. What you've read may be a later re-analysis / false etymology.
OJFord 7y ago
The prefix is dia-, not di-. My own pet peeve is people saying the same thing about 'dialogue', which is also 'dia-logue', not 'di-alogue'.
- WorldMaker 7y ago
  The confusion seems rooted in the relatively common word "monologue" which etymology seems to imply was a 17th Century French "back formation". Interesting how much that bit of word play seems to confuse things centuries later.
  - OJFord 7y ago
    Wiktionary says it's ancient Greek. Which makes sense, it doesn't need to be a back formation or slight pun - it's already different from dia 'across'/'between' (like diameter) talking, it's specifically not that.

svat 7y ago

It does not appear to be the case that the “di” in “dialectic” (unlike, say, the “di” in “dilemma”) refers to the number “two”. According to Etymonline and many other dictionaries (follow links from https://www.onelook.com/?w=dialectic https://www.onelook.com/?w=dialectic), the word comes via Latin ultimately from Greek dialektos, “discourse, conversation”. This in turn is formed with the prefix dia- (“across, between”), also found in words like diagonal, diameter, dialogue, diagnosis, adiabatic, diabetes, diarrhea, diacritic. This prefix dia- in turn may indeed be cognate with bi or di-, but at any rate the “di” in “dialectic” does not directly refer to “two”. What you've read may be a later re-analysis / false etymology.

OJFord 7y ago

The prefix is dia-, not di-. My own pet peeve is people saying the same thing about 'dialogue', which is also 'dia-logue', not 'di-alogue'.

WorldMaker 7y ago
The confusion seems rooted in the relatively common word "monologue" which etymology seems to imply was a 17th Century French "back formation". Interesting how much that bit of word play seems to confuse things centuries later.
- OJFord 7y ago
  Wiktionary says it's ancient Greek. Which makes sense, it doesn't need to be a back formation or slight pun - it's already different from dia 'across'/'between' (like diameter) talking, it's specifically not that.