Where does “frenzy” come from?
Frenzy derives from Middle English frensy, from Old French frenesie, from Latin phrenesis, from Ancient Greek φρένησις, ultimately from the root φρήν meaning mind or diaphragm.
frenzy (English): A state of wild activity or panic; A violent...
Definitions
- A state of wild activity or panic; A violent...
Ancestry of “frenzy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | frensy | — |
| 2 | Old French | frenesie | frenzy |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | phrenesia | — |
| 4 | Latin | phrenesis | madness, delirium, frenzy |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | φρένησις | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | φρήν | The midriff, stomach and lower chest or breast;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰren- | soul, mind; mind; an internal part of the body |
Words derived from “frenzy”