Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “phantasm” come from?

Phantasm comes from Old French fantasme, from Latin phantasma, from Ancient Greek φάντασμα, derived from φαντάζω and ultimately φαίνω meaning to appear or show.

phantasm (English): Something seen but having no physical reality; a...

Definitions

  1. Something seen but having no physical reality; a...

Ancestry of “phantasm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfantasme—
2Latinphantasmaimage, appearance; apparition, spectre, phantom
3Ancient Greekφάντασμαphantom, apparition, ghost; vision, dream;...
4Ancient Greekφαντάζωto show; to make visible; to place before one's...
5Ancient GreekφαίνωI cause to appear, bring to light; I show,...
6English-typeimpressed form; stamp; print; typical form; Used...
7Ancient GreekτύποςA blow, pressing; The results of a blow: mark,...
8Ancient Greekτύπτωto beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself
9Proto-Indo-European(s)tewp-to push, to stick
10Proto-Indo-European(s)tew-to push, to hit

Words derived from “phantasm”

  • phantasmal
  • phantasmic
  • phantasmally
  • phantasmically
  • phantasmological
  • phantasmology
  • fantasmal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- →