Where does “-phany” come from?
-phany (English) comes from Ancient Greek φαίνω, from English -type, from Ancient Greek τύπος, from Ancient Greek τύπτω, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tewp-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- — to push, to hit.
Ancestry of “-phany”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | φαίνω | I cause to appear, bring to light; I show,... |
| 2 | English | -type | impressed form; stamp; print; typical form; Used... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | τύπος | A blow, pressing; The results of a blow: mark,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τύπτω | to beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewp- | to push, to stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |