Where does “hypocritical” come from?
Hypocritical derives from Ancient Greek ὑποκριτικός, an adjective relating to stage acting and pretense.
hypocritical (English): Characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Definitions
- Characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Ancestry of “hypocritical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hypocritic | Synonym of hypocritical; A hypocrite |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὑποκριτικός | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ὑποκριτής | one who answers: interpreter, expounder; stage... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ὑποκρίνομαι | to answer; to interpret; to dialogue, to answer... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ῠ̔ποκρῑ́νω | — |
| 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- | — |