Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “calligraphy” come from?

Calligraphy comes from French calligraphie, from Ancient Greek καλλιγραφία, combining κάλλος (beauty) and κᾰλός (beautiful).

calligraphy (English): The art or practice of writing letters and words...

Definitions

  1. The art or practice of writing letters and words...

Ancestry of “calligraphy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcalligraphiecalligraphy; first-person singular present...
2Ancient Greekκαλλιγραφίαpretty writing
3Ancient Greekκᾰλλῐ-beautiful
4Ancient Greekκαλόςbeautiful, lovely; good, quality, useful; good,...
5Ancient GreekεἶδοςThat which is seen: form, image, shape;...
6Spanish-scopio-scope
7Latin-scopium—
8Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
9Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout
10Ancient GreekσκέπτομαιI look at, examine; I examine, consider, think
11Proto-Hellenicsképťomaito look at
12Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
13Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “calligraphy”

  • calligrapher
  • microcalligraphy
  • カリグラフィー
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →