different between dilemma vs lemma

English

Etymology

First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek ??????? (díl?mma, “ambiguous proposition”), from ??- (di-, “having two of”) + ????? (lêmma, “premise, proposition”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: d?-l?m?? or d?-l?m??, IPA^(key): /da??l?m?/, /d??l?m?/
• Rhymes: -?m?

Noun

dilemma (plural dilemmas or dilemmata)

1. A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dilemma

   • 1731, Jonathan Swift, "An Epistle to Mr. Gay"

     A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place.

2. A difficult circumstance or problem.

   Synonyms: bind, fix, pickle, problem, quandary

3. (logic) A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true; if C is true then D is true; either A or C is true; therefore either B or D is true".
4. (rhetoric) Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

Usage notes

Occasionally misspelled as dilemna, perhaps originally via false analogy with words such as condemn, solemn, and hymn. This spelling has been reportedly taught in many regions of Great Britain and the United States as well as around the world, and can be found in the works of many well-known authors (e.g. Isaac Watts, Defoe & Goldsmith).

Derived terms

Related terms

• lemma
• trilemma
• tetralemma
• pentalemma

Translations

See also

• between a rock and a hard place
• between the devil and the deep blue sea
• between Scylla and Charybdis
• Buridan's ass
• no-win situation
• catch-22
• damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
• doomed if you do, doomed if you don't
• predicament

Further reading

• dilemma on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Silva Rhetoricae

References

Anagrams

• midmeal

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek ??????? (díl?mma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?di?l?.ma?/
• Hyphenation: di?lem?ma
• Rhymes: -?ma?

Noun

dilemma n (plural dilemma's, diminutive dilemmaatje n)

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Derived terms

• dilemmatisch

Finnish

(index d)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dilem??/, [?dile?m??]
• Rhymes: -ilem??
• Syllabification: di?lem?ma

Noun

dilemma

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Declension

Italian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ??????? (díl?mma).

Noun

dilemma m (plural dilemmi)

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Related terms

• dilemmatico

Anagrams

• dammeli, dimmela

Turkish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ??????? (díl?mma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [di.l?m??]

Noun

dilemma (definite accusative dilemmay?, plural dilemmalar)

1. dilemma

   Synonym: ikilem

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: l?m'?, IPA^(key): /?l?m?/
• Rhymes: -?m?
• Hyphenation: lem?ma

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from ??????? (lambán?, “I take”).

Noun

lemma (plural lemmas or lemmata)

1. (mathematics) A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.
2. (linguistics, lexicography) The canonical form of an inflected word; i.e., the form usually found as the headword in a dictionary, such as the nominative singular of a noun, the bare infinitive of a verb, etc.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:lemma.
3. (psycholinguistics) The theoretical abstract conceptual form of a word, representing a specific meaning, before the creation of a specific phonological form as the sounds of a lexeme, which may find representation in a specific written form as a dictionary or lexicographic word.

Synonyms

• (linguistics, lexicography: canonical form of a word): citation form

Antonyms

• (linguistics, lexicography: canonical form of a word): non-lemma

Derived terms

• lemmatize

Related terms

Translations

See also

• basic form
• canonical form
• citation form
• dictionary form
• headword
• infinitive

Etymology 2

From the Ancient Greek ????? (lémma), from ???? (lép?, “I peel”).

Noun

lemma (plural lemmas or lemmata)

1. (botany) The outer shell of a fruit or similar body.
2. (botany) One of the specialized bracts around the floret in grasses.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Sister projects

• lemma (psycholinguistics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• lemma (morphology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• lemma (logic) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• lemma (mathematics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• headword on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• lemma (botany) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• melam

Czech

Etymology

Ultimately from Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?l?ma]
• Hyphenation: le?m?ma

Noun

lemma n

1. (mathematics) lemma
2. (linguistics) lemma (the canonical form of an inflected word)

Declension

Related terms

• lemmatický
• lemmatizace
• lemmatizátor
• lemmatizovat
• dilema
• trilema

Further reading

• lemma in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
• lemma in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

From Latin lemma, from Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?.ma?/
• Hyphenation: lem?ma
• Rhymes: -?ma?

Noun

lemma n (plural lemma's or lemmata, diminutive lemmaatje n)

1. (mathematics) lemma (proved or accepted proposition used in a proof)
2. (linguistics) lemma (the canonical form of an inflected word, dictionary form)

Derived terms

• hoofdlemma
• sublemma

Finnish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from ??????? (lambán?, “I take”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?lem??/, [?le?m??]
• Rhymes: -em??
• Syllabification: lem?ma

Noun

lemma

1. (linguistics) lemma
2. (mathematics) lemma

Declension

Synonyms

• (linguistics): perusmuoto
• (math): apulause

Italian

Etymology

From Latin lemma, from Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?m.ma/
• Hyphenation: lem?ma

Noun

lemma m (plural lemmi)

1. (mathematics, linguistics, lexicography) lemma
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:lemma.
2. entry (in a dictionary)

Related terms

• lemmatico

References

• Pianigiani, Ottorino (1907) , “lemma”, in Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana (in Italian), Rome: Albrighi & Segati

• “lemma” in Il Sabatini Coletti: Dizionario della Lingua Italiana (© 2011)
• lemma¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• melma

Latin

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?le?m.ma/, [???e?m?ä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?lem.ma/, [?l?m??]

Noun

l?mma n (genitive l?mmatis); third declension

1. (literally) A subject for consideration or explanation, a theme, matter, subject, contents.
   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Pliny the Younger to this entry?)
2. (transferred senses):
   1. the title of an epigram (because it indicates the subject)
   2. the epigram itself
   3. story, tale
   4. the assumption or lemma of a syllogism
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Aulus Gellius to this entry?)

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

Derived terms

• n?tr?cis l?mmata

Descendants

• Dutch: lemma
• English: lemma
• French: lemme
• German: Lemma
• Italian: lemma
• Spanish: lema

References

• lemma in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• lemma in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette, page 898/2
• “lemma” on page 1,015/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Etymology 2

Probably a scribal error: ni ? m.

Noun

lemma f (genitive lemmae); first declension

1. medieval spelling of lemnia [8th C.]

Declension

First-declension noun.

References

• lemma in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• lemma in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

Polish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ????? (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from ??????? (lambán?, “I take”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?m.ma/

Noun

lemma f

1. (linguistics, lexicography) lemma

Declension

Further reading

• lemma in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Swedish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

lemma n

1. lemma (the canonical form of an inflected word, a headword in a dictionary)
2. (mathematics) lemma (a proposition)

Declension

Synonyms

• uppslagsord

Related terms

References

• lemma in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)