Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sardonic” come from?

Sardonic comes from French sardonique, from Latin sardonius, from Ancient Greek σαρδόνιος and σαρδάνιος, ultimately from Ancient Greek σαρδάνη.

sardonic (English): Scornfully mocking or cynical; Disdainfully or...

Definitions

  1. Scornfully mocking or cynical; Disdainfully or...

Ancestry of “sardonic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchsardoniquesardonic
2LatinsardoniusOf sardonyx
3Ancient GreekΣαρδόνιοςSardinian
4Ancient Greekσαρδάνιοςscornful, bitter, grim
5Ancient Greekσαρδάνη—

Words derived from “sardonic”

  • sardonically
  • sardonicism
  • unsardonic
Every word from Ancient Greek σαρδάνη →