Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “burlesque” come from?

Burlesque comes from French burlesque, from Italian burlesco, from Italian burla meaning jest or mockery, with a suffix -iscus of Latin and Proto-Indo-European origin forming diminutive or pejorative adjectives.

burlesque (English): Parodical; parodic; A derisive art form that...

Definitions

  1. Parodical; parodic; A derisive art form that...

Ancestry of “burlesque”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchburlesqueburlesque; parodic; parodical; burlesque; parody
2Italianburlescojesting; burlesque
3Italian-escoForms adjectives that indicate relationship,...
4Vulgar Latin-iscus-ish
5Latin-ensisOf or from
6Latinarvumfield; farm land
7Latincolō—
8Latinquelō—
9Proto-Italickʷelō—
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
11Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “burlesque”

  • burlesquer
  • burlesquely
  • neoburlesque
  • burlesqueness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →