Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “historical” come from?

Historical derives from Latin historicus, formed with the suffix Latin -icus from Ancient Greek ἱστορέω and ἵστωρ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weyd- meaning to see.

historical (English): Of, concerning, or in accordance with recorded...

Definitions

  1. Of, concerning, or in accordance with recorded...

Ancestry of “historical”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinhistoricushistorical
2Latinhistoriahistory; account; story
3Ancient Greekἱστορίαinquiry, examination, systematic observation,...
4Ancient Greekἱστορέωto inquire, ask; to examine, observe; to record,...
5Ancient Greekἵστωρone who knows law and right, judge; witness; a...
6Proto-Hellenicwístōr—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwéydtōrone who has seen, one who knows
8Indo-European*weyd-—

Words derived from “historical”

  • historically
  • ahistorical
  • sociohistorical
  • unhistorical
  • transhistorical
  • ethnohistorical
  • prehistorical
  • nonhistorical
  • geohistorical
  • metahistorical
  • psychohistorical
  • antihistorical
  • microhistorical
  • posthistorical
  • sociohistorically
  • macrohistorical
  • pseudohistorical
  • semihistorical
  • ethnohistorically
  • mythohistorical
  • protohistorical
  • quasihistorical
  • historicalness
  • geohistorically
Every word from Indo-European *weyd- →