dilemma

Where does the word "dilemma" come from? It comes from Greek dilēmma, passing through Late Latin before entering English (1520s).

Dilemma’s story begins in Greek: dilēmma meant “double proposition.” A 'double premise', a trap in argument from 'di-', two, and 'lēmma', assumption. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Late Latin as dilemma. A term of logic and rhetoric. It reached English by 1520s as dilemma. 'the horns of a dilemma' pictures the two choices as a bull's horns. Today, dilemma means a situation requiring a difficult choice between options.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient dilēmma "double proposition", a 'double premise', a trap in argument from 'di-', two, and 'lēmma', assumption.
2. Stage 2 · Late Latin · ancient dilemma "dilemma", a term of logic and rhetoric.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1520s dilemma "difficult choice", 'the horns of a dilemma' pictures the two choices as a bull's horns.