Where does “hypocrisy” come from?
Hypocrisy comes from Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις, derived from ὑποκρίνομαι, related to κρίνω and κρῑ́νω, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
hypocrisy (English): The contrivance of a false appearance of virtue...
Definitions
- The contrivance of a false appearance of virtue...
Ancestry of “hypocrisy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ipocrisie | — |
| 2 | Old French | ypocrisie | hypocrisy |
| 3 | Latin | hypocrisis | mimicry; hypocrisy |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ὑπόκρισις | reply, answer; the part of an actor or orator:... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ῠ̔ποκρῑ́νομαι | I answer |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ῠ̔πο- | under, lower; by, under; under”, “beneath |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὑπό | |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |