Where does “cynic” come from?
Cynic derives from Middle English cynike, from Middle French cinicque, from Latin cynicus, from Ancient Greek κυνικός, combining κύων (dog) with the suffix -ῐκός (adjective-forming).
cynic (English): cynical; Relating to the Dog Star; A person who...
Definitions
- cynical; Relating to the Dog Star; A person who...
Ancestry of “cynic”, step by step
cynic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English cynicke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cynicke | — |
| 2 | Middle French | cinicque | — |
| 3 | Latin | cynicus | Cynic |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κυνικός | doglike |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Κυνόσαργες | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κύων | a dog; a bitch; an offensive person |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μῦς | mouse; A type of mussel; A type of whale |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | *mū́s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | múHs | mouse |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |
via Middle English cynike
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cynike | — |
| 2 | French | cynique | cynical; canine; cynic |
| 3 | Latin | Cynicus | Cynic |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Κυνικός | a Cynic |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |