Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mystic” come from?

Mystic comes from Old French mistique, from Latin mysticus, from Ancient Greek μυστικός, derived from μύστης, one initiated into mysteries, from μυέω, to initiate, from μύω, to close the mouth or eyes.

mystic (English): Of, or relating to mystics, mysticism or occult...

Definitions

  1. Of, or relating to mystics, mysticism or occult...

Ancestry of “mystic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchmistiquemysterious; mystical
2LatinmysticusOf or belonging to secret rites or mysteries;...
3Ancient Greekμυστικόςsecret, mystic
4Ancient Greekμύστηςone who has been initiated, initiate
5Ancient GreekμυέωI initiate
6Ancient Greek-έωUsed to form verbs from nouns, adjectives and...
7Proto-Indo-European-éyetiForms causative imperfective verbs from roots;...
8Proto-Indo-European-yetiCreates transitive imperfective verbs from roots

Words derived from “mystic”

  • mystical
  • mysticism
  • mystically
  • mysticall
  • mystick
  • unmystical
  • nonmystical
  • semimystical
  • mysticist
  • mysticality
  • pseudomystical
  • mysticize
  • mysticalness
  • nonmystic
  • unmystically
  • metamystic
  • synchromysticism
  • mysticise
  • mysticly
  • mystickal
  • nonmystically
  • mysticness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yeti →