Where does “poetic” come from?
Poetic derives from Middle French poetique, from Latin poeticus, from Ancient Greek ποιητικός, from the verb ποιέω meaning to make or compose.
poetic (English): Relating to poetry; Characteristic of poets;...
Definitions
- Relating to poetry; Characteristic of poets;...
Ancestry of “poetic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | poetique | — |
| 2 | Latin | poeticus | poetic |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ποιητικός | creator; making, producing |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -τικός | relating to, suited to, skilled in, able to,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -σις | Added to verb stems to form abstract nouns or... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |