Where does “fantastic” come from?
Fantastic comes from Middle French fantastique, from Late Latin phantasticus, from Ancient Greek φανταστικός, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂- meaning to shine or appear.
fantastic (English): Existing in or constructed from fantasy; of or...
Definitions
- Existing in or constructed from fantasy; of or...
Ancestry of “fantastic”, step by step
fantastic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French fantastique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | fantastique | fantastic |
| 2 | Spanish | fantástico | fantastic |
| 3 | Italian | fantastico | fantastic; fabulous, imaginary, imaginative,... |
| 4 | Latin | phantasticus | imaginary |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | φανταστικός | able to produce the appearance of something |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τικός | relating to, suited to, skilled in, able to,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -σις | Added to verb stems to form abstract nouns or... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |
via Middle French fantastique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | fantastique | — |