Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “surrealistic” come from?

Surrealistic combines English surreal with the English suffix -ic, derived from Latin -icus, which traces to Proto-Indo-European -kos, an adjectival suffix of unknown ultimate origin.

surrealistic (English): Surreal

Definitions

  1. Surreal

Ancestry of “surrealistic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsurrealResembling a dream: fantastic and incongruous;...
2EnglishsurrealismAn artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy...
3Frenchsurréalismesurrealism
4Frenchréalismerealism
5Frenchréelreal
6Middle Frenchrealroyal; Alternative form of royal
7Old Frenchreel—
8Latinreālis—
9Latinrēs—
10Latinvindicatiocivil lawsuit; protection, defence; vindication;...
11Latinvindicō—
12Latinvindexclaimant, vindicator
13Latindīcō—
14Latin-tiō—
15Latindissertātiō—
16Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
17Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
18Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
19Latincalceusshoe
20Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line

Words derived from “surrealistic”

  • surrealistically
Every word from Latin calx →