Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman dialetice, dialetike, dialectiqe and Middle French dialectique, dialetique (French dialectique ) art of reasoning, logic (c1150 in Old French), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin dialectica (feminine singular) art of reasoning, logic < ancient Greek ἡ διαλεκτική the dialectic art, the art of discussion or debate, use as noun (short for ἡ διαλεκτικὴ τέχνη the dialectic art) of feminine singular of διαλεκτικός , adjective (see dialectic adj.). Compare Spanish dialéctica (c1250; also †dialetica ), Portuguese dialéctica , (now usually) dialética (a1543), Italian dialettica (mid 13th cent. as †dialetica ), and also Middle Dutch dialetica (rare; Dutch dialectica , (now usually) dialectiek ), Middle High German dialetica , dialetike , dyaletica (German Dialektik ; originally, and in the early modern period frequently, with Latin inflectional endings). Compare dialectical n., dialectics n.In sense 1b after German Dialektik (in this sense, 1781 in Kant, as well as subsequently in Hegel). The following probably shows an isolated early borrowing of classical Latin dialecticus dialectic adj. in use as noun with the meaning ‘dialectics’, rather than an earlier instance of dialectics n., since Middle English plurals in -us are very rare in this source, the usual plural ending being -is:c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 1583 Prestis of þe lawe, Of dialiticus [a1500 Trin. Dub. dialeticus] & decre, doctours of aythir.

Etymology: Originally (in use as noun and in senses B. 1a, B. 1b) < classical Latin dialecticus related to a process of reasoning, logical, (noun) person who studies or teaches logic, logician, philosopher < ancient Greek διαλεκτικός of or relating to discourse or discussion, skilled in logical disputation < διάλεκτος dialect n. + -ικός -ic suffix. In later use (in sense B. 3) probably independently < dialect n. + -ic suffix. With use as noun compare Spanish dialéctico (a1385 as †dialetico ), Italian dialettico (second half of the 14th cent.), nouns. With use as adjective compare earlier dialectical adj., and also Spanish dialéctico (1437 as †dialetico), Portuguese dialéctico (1532; now usually dialético), Italian dialettico (c1260), German dialektisch (1534 as †dialectisch), adjectives.In sense B. 2 after French dialectique (1880 (in the passage translated in quot. 1892) or earlier in this sense; 1802 in sense B. 1a), itself after German dialektisch (1845 or earlier in Marx and Engels in this sense). In dialectic materialism n. at sense B. 2 after German dialektischer Materialismus (1891 or earlier); compare Russian dialektičeskij materializm (1894 or earlier).