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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

problem

/ˈpɹɒbləm/
A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.

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    • derived
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    • meaning component
    • sound component
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    Origin

    From Middle English probleme, from Middle French probleme, from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “anything thrown forward, hindrance, obstacle, anything projecting, a headland, promontory”), from προβάλλω (probállō, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from προ- (pro-, “in front of”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”). Doublet of problema.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishprobleme
      • borrowedMiddle Frenchprobleme
        • borrowedLatinproblēma
          • borrowedAncient Greekπρόβλημα “obstacle”
            • partAncient Greekπροβάλλω
              • partAncient Greekπρο- “before”
                • derivedAncient Greekπρό “before”
                  • derivedProto-Indo-European*pró “leading to, toward”
                    • partProto-Indo-European*pér
                    • partProto-Indo-European*-o
                  • derivedLatinlac “milk”
              • partAncient Greekβάλλω “to throw”
                • inheritedProto-Hellenic*gʷəlnō
                  • derivedProto-Indo-European*gʷelH- “to throw, hit, hurt by throwing”
            • partAncient Greek-μᾰ “nominal suffix”
              • inheritedProto-Hellenic*-mə
              • derivedProto-Indo-European*-mn̥

    Related: English problema (doublet)

    Meanings

    noun
    1. A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.
    2. An addiction, other substance use disorder, or comparable psychological challenge.
    3. A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise.
    4. A puzzling circumstance.
    5. Objection.
    6. Difficulty in accepting or understanding or refusal to accept or understand.
    adj
    1. Of a person or an animal, difficult to train or guide; unruly.
    2. Causing a problem; problematic; troublesome.
    verb
    1. To problematize.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: problem