Sophismata (from the Latin plural of the Greek word σ?φισμα, 'sophisma', which also gave rise to the related term "sophism") in medieval philosophy are difficult or puzzling sentences presenting difficulties of logical analysis that must be solved. Sophismata-literature grew in importance during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and many important developments in philosophy (particularly in logic and natural philosophy) occurred as a result of investigation into their logical and semantic properties.