Where does “elegy” come from?
Elegy comes from Middle French elegie, from Latin elegia, from Ancient Greek ἐλεγεία ᾠδή, a type of mournful song or poem.
elegy (English): A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a...
Definitions
- A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a...
Ancestry of “elegy”, step by step
elegy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French elegie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | elegie | elegy |
| 2 | Latin | elegīa | elegy |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἐλεγεία ᾠδή | an elegiac song |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἐλεγεία | elegy |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἐλεγεῖος | elegiac |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἔλεγος | poem or song of lament; mournful poem; song,... |
via Hungarian elegyít
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungarian | elegyít | to mix |