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Today it means

dubious

hesitating or doubting; suspect

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Where does the word "dubious" come from? It comes from Latin dubius, and was adopted directly into English (1540s).

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Where does the word "dubious" come from? It comes from Latin dubius, and was adopted directly into English (1540s).

Dubious’s story begins in Latin: dubius meant “wavering.” From 'duo', two: of two minds, the root of 'doubt'. It reached English by 1540s as dubious. 'dubious honour' dates from the 1800s. Today, dubious means hesitating or doubting; suspect.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient dubius "wavering", from 'duo', two: of two minds, the root of 'doubt'.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1540s dubious "doubtful", 'dubious honour' dates from the 1800s.

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