Where does “unorthodox” come from?
Unorthodox derives from English orthodox, from Latin ortho- and -doxus (from Ancient Greek δόξα meaning "opinion"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "straight" and "to think or speak."
unorthodox (English): unusual, unconventional, or idiosyncratic
Definitions
- unusual, unconventional, or idiosyncratic
Ancestry of “unorthodox”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Orthodox | Of or pertaining to the Orthodox Churches... |
| 2 | Middle English | orthodoxe | orthodox conforming to true and received religious doctrine |
| 3 | Middle French | orthodoxe | — |
| 4 | Latin | orthodoxus | orthodox |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ὀρθόδοξος | orthodox |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀρθός | straight, upright, erect; straight forward, in a... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | ortʰwós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃r̥dʰwós | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃erdʰ- | to increase, grow; upright, high |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |