Where does “grotesque” come from?
Grotesque comes from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, from Italian grotta meaning cave, from Latin crypta, from Ancient Greek κρύπτω meaning to hide or conceal.
grotesque (English): Distorted and unnatural in shape or size;...
Definitions
- Distorted and unnatural in shape or size;...
Ancestry of “grotesque”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | grotesque | farcical; small cave; ornament |
| 2 | Italian | grottesco | grotesque |
| 3 | Italian | -esco | Forms adjectives that indicate relationship,... |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | -iscus | -ish |
| 5 | Latin | -ensis | Of or from |
| 6 | Latin | arvum | field; farm land |
| 7 | Latin | colō | to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden |
| 8 | Latin | quelō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | kʷelō | to inhabit |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷéleti | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |