Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rhapsody” come from?

Rhapsody comes from Middle French rhapsodie, from Latin rhapsodia, from Ancient Greek ῥαψῳδία, ultimately from ἀείδω meaning to sing.

rhapsody (English): An ancient Greek epic poem suitable for...

Definitions

  1. An ancient Greek epic poem suitable for...

Ancestry of “rhapsody”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinrhapsōdia—
2Ancient Greekῥαψῳδίαrecitation of Epic poetry; Epic composition;...
3Ancient Greekᾠδήsong, ode; legend, tale, story
4Ancient GreekἀείδωTo sing, chant, praise; To make various noises:...
5Proto-Hellenicawéidōto sing

Words derived from “rhapsody”

  • rhapsodic
  • rhapsodize
  • rhapsodically
  • rhapsodization
  • unrhapsodic
  • ラプソディ
Every word from Proto-Hellenic awéidō →