Where does “bombastic” come from?
Bombastic derives from bombast, from Old French bombace, from Late Latin bombax, from Latin bombyx, from Ancient Greek βόμβυξ meaning silk or silkworm.
bombastic (English): showy in speech and given to using flowery or...
Definitions
- showy in speech and given to using flowery or...
Ancestry of “bombastic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | bombastisch | bombastic |
| 2 | English | bombast | Cotton, or cotton wool; Cotton, or any soft,... |
| 3 | English | bombase | Cotton wool made from raw cotton, typically used as padding in clothing or as a stopper |
| 4 | Old French | bombace | cotton, cotton wadding |
| 5 | Latin | bombax | indeed! strange! |
| 6 | Latin | bombyx | silkworm |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | βόμβυξ | silkworm; garment made of silk; deeptoned flute |