Where does “grotesqueness” come from?
Grotesqueness derives from English grotesque, from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, ultimately from Latin crypta meaning underground chamber, from Ancient Greek κρύπτω meaning to hide or conceal.
grotesqueness (English): The characteristic or quality of being grotesque
Definitions
- The characteristic or quality of being grotesque
Ancestry of “grotesqueness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grotesque | Distorted and unnatural in shape or size;... |
| 2 | Middle French | grotesque | farcical; small cave; ornament |
| 3 | Italian | grottesco | grotesque |
| 4 | Italian | -esco | Forms adjectives that indicate relationship,... |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | -iscus | -ish |
| 6 | Latin | -ensis | Of or from |
| 7 | Latin | arvum | field; farm land |
| 8 | Latin | colō | to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden |
| 9 | Latin | quelō | — |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | kʷelō | to inhabit |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷéleti | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |