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Origin and history of dubiety

dubiety(n.)

"doubtfulness, dubiousness," 1650s, from Late Latin dubietas "doubt, uncertainty," from Latin dubius "vacillating, fluctuating," figuratively "wavering in opinion, doubting" (see dubious). Earlier in the same sense were dubiosity (1640s), dubiousness (1650s); also see dubitation.

Ignorance is the mother of two filthy daughters; the first daughter of Ignorance is called dubiety, or doubtfulnesse, which is a continual wavering in opinion; a knowing man hath a fixt spirit, and settled judgement, but an ignorant man is a double-minded man, though he be never so resolute and wilful in his opinions. [W. Geering, "The Mischiefes and Danger of the Sin of Ignorance," London, 1659]

also from 1650s

Entries linking to dubiety

dubious(adj.)

1540s, "puzzling, occasioning doubt or uncertainty;" 1630s, "doubtful, hesitating in opinion;" from Late Latin dubiosus "doubtful," from Latin dubium "doubt," neuter of dubius "vacillating, moving two ways, fluctuating;" figuratively "wavering in opinion, doubting, doubtful," from duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two"), with a sense of "of two minds, undecided between two things." Old English also used tweo "two" to mean "doubt." Compare doubt (v.). Related: Dubiously; dubiousness.

dubitation(n.)

early 15c., dubitacioun, "act or state of doubting," from Old French dubitation (13c.) and directly from Latin dubitationem (nominative dubitatio) "uncertainty, doubt," noun of state from past-participle stem of dubitare "to waver in opinion, be uncertain, doubt, question" (related to dubius "uncertain;" see dubious).

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    Trends of dubiety

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    doubt
    c. 1200, douten, duten, "to dread, fear, be afraid" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French doter "doubt, be doubtful; be afraid," from Latin dubitare "to doubt, question, hesitate, waver in opinion" (related to dubius "uncertain"), from duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two"), wit
    incertitude
    mid-15c., "variability," from Old French incertitude (14c.), from Late Latin incertitudinem (nominative incertitudo) "uncertainty," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + certitudo "that which is certain," from Latin certus "sure, certain" (see certain). From c. 1600 as "dou
    suspense
    c. 1400, in legal language, "abeyance, temporary cessation" (of a right, etc.); "state of not being carried out" (of legal matters), from Anglo-French suspens (in en suspens "in abeyance," c. 1300), Old French sospense "delay, deferment (of judgment), act of suspending" and direc
    reservation
    late 14c., "act of reserving or keeping back," from Old French reservation (14c.) and directly from Late Latin reservationem (nominative reservatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin reservare "keep back, save up; retain, preserve," from re- "back" (see re-) + se
    certainty
    c. 1300, certeynte, "surety, pledge," from Anglo-French certeinté (late 13c.), Old French certainete "certainty," from Latin or Vulgar Latin *certanitatem (source of Old Spanish certanedad), from Vulgar Latin *certanus (see certain). The meaning "that which is certain, a clear fa
    skepticism
    also scepticism, "the entertaining of mistrust, doubt, or disbelief," 1640s, from skeptic + -ism. Specifically from 1800 as "doubt or disbelief in the fundamental principles of the Christian religion." Earlier skepsis (from Greek skepsis) had been used in English for "philosophic
    suspicion
    c. 1300, suspecioun, "act of suspecting; unverified conjecture of wrongdoing; mistrust, distrust with but slight proof; feeling or passion excited by signs of danger," from Anglo-French suspecioun, corresponding to Old French suspicion, sospeçon "mistrust, suspicion" (Modern Fren
    disbelief
    "positive unbelief, mental rejection of a statement or assertion for which credence is demanded," 1670s; see dis- + belief. A Latin-Germanic hybrid. Disbelief is more commonly used to express an active mental opposition which does not imply a blameworthy disregard of evidence. U
    man
    "a featherless plantigrade biped mammal of the genus Homo" [Century Dictionary], Old English man, mann "human being, person (male or female); brave man, hero;" also "servant, vassal, adult male considered as under the control of another person," from Proto-Germanic *mann- (source
    conflict
    early 15c., "to contend, fight, struggle," from Latin conflictus, past participle of confligere "to strike together, be in conflict," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fligere "to strike" (see afflict). Meaning "be in opposition, be contrary or at varianc

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