Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ekphrasic” come from?

ekphrasic (English) comes from English ekphrasis, from Ancient Greek ἔκφρασις, from Ancient Greek -σῐς, from Ancient Greek -τις, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.

ekphrasic (English): Relating to ekphrasis

Definitions

  1. Relating to ekphrasis

Ancestry of “ekphrasic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishekphrasisA clear, intense, self-contained argument or...
2Ancient Greekἔκφρασιςdescription; ekphrasis
3Ancient Greek-σῐς"suffix forming nouns"
4Ancient Greek-τιςEarlier form of -σις , retained after dentals δ,...
5Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →