Where does “idol” come from?
Idol comes from Old French idole, from Latin idolum, from Ancient Greek εἴδωλον, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root weyd- meaning to see.
idol (English): A graven image or representation of anything that...
Definitions
- A graven image or representation of anything that...
Ancestry of “idol”, step by step
idol traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ydole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ydole | An idol representation of a pagan god |
| 2 | Old French | idole | — |
| 3 | Latin | idolum | image, form, especially a spectre, apparition or... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | εἴδωλον | phantom, ghost; shape, figure, image; image of... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | εἶδος | That which is seen: form, image, shape;... |
| 6 | Spanish | -scopio | -scope |
| 7 | Latin | -scopium | — |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | σκοπέω | I look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | σκοπός | watcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | σκέπτομαι | I look at, examine; I examine, consider, think |
| 11 | Proto-Hellenic | sképťomai | to look at |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |
via Latin īdōlum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | īdōlum | image, form, especially a spectre, apparition or ghost |