Where does “psychedelic” come from?
Psychedelic derives from Ancient Greek ψυχή (soul or mind) plus the suffix -η and -ᾱ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂, referring to substances believed to reveal or manifest the soul.
psychedelic (English): Of, containing, generating, or reminiscent of...
Definitions
- Of, containing, generating, or reminiscent of...
Ancestry of “psychedelic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ψυχή | The animating principle of a human or animal... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | -η | Added to verbal stems ending in a consonant to... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -ᾱ | nominal suffix |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₂ | — |
Words derived from “psychedelic”