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Origin and history of dialectic

dialectic(n.)

1580s, earlier dialatik (late 14c.), "critical examination of the truth of an opinion, formal reason and logic applied to rhetoric and refutation," from Old French dialectique (12c.) and directly from Latin dialectica, from Greek dialektike (techne) "(art of) philosophical discussion or discourse," fem. of dialektikos "of conversation, discourse," from dialektos "discourse, conversation" (see dialect).

Originally synonymous with logic; in modern philosophy refined by Kant ("the theory of false argumentation leading to contradictions and fallacies), then by Hegel, who made it mean "process of resolving or merging contradictions in character to attain higher truths." Used generally in 20c. Marxism for "evolution by means of contradictions." Related: Dialectics.

dialectic(adj.)

1640s, "relating to the art of reasoning about probabilities," from Latin dialecticus, from Greek dialektikos "of conversation, discourse," from dialektos "discourse, conversation" (see dialect). From 1813 as "of or pertaining to a dialect or dialects." 

also from 1640s

Entries linking to dialectic

dialect(n.)

1570s, "language, speech, mode of speech," especially "form of speech of a region or group, idiom of a locality or class" as distinguished from the general accepted literary language, also "one of a number of related modes of speech regarded as descended from a common origin," from French dialecte, from Latin dialectus "local language, way of speaking, conversation," from Greek dialektos "talk, conversation, speech;" also "the language of a country, dialect," from dialegesthai "converse with each other, discuss, argue," from dia "across, between" (see dia-) + legein "speak" from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather," with derivatives meaning "to speak (to 'pick out words')").

dialectical(adj.)

1540s, " of or pertaining to logical disputation, relating to the art of reasoning;" see dialectic + -al (1). From 1750 as "of or pertaining to a dialect." From 1788 as "of the nature of philosophical dialectic" (in reference to Kant, later to Hegel and Marx). Related: Dialectally. Dialectical materialism (by 1927) translates Marx's phrase.

suspicious(adj.)

mid-14c., suspecious, "regarded with or exciting suspicion, open to doubt;" late 14c., "full of suspicion, inclined to suspect or believe ill;" from Anglo-French suspecious, Old French suspicios (Modern French suspectieux), from Latin suspiciosus, suspitiosus "exciting suspicion, causing mistrust," also "full of suspicion, ready to suspect," from stem of suspicere "look up at" (see suspect (adj.)). Related: suspiciously; suspiciousness. In Middle English also suspitious (from Old French variant suspitieux).

The senses that flow in opposite directions, already present in classical Latin, have caused continued confusion. The word also is attested in English from late 15c. as "indicating suspicion" and also "liable to cause suspicion."

Poe (c. 1845) proposed suspectful should take one of the senses (it had been used since 1580s as "mistrustful"). Other available words include suspicable "liable to suspect; that may be suspected" (1610s, from Late Latin suspicabilis "conjectural"); suspicional "of or pertaining to suspicion" (1890, in psychology). Suspectable "open to suspicion" is from 1748, while suspectuous "inclined to feel suspicion" is by 1650s.

Dialectic and suspicious would, each, advantageously be eased of an acceptation, by the adoption of dialectal and suspectable. [Fitzedward Hall, "Modern English," 1873]
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