Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. unusual, unconventional, or idiosyncratic

Ancestry of “unorthodox”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOrthodoxOf or pertaining to the Orthodox Churches...
2Middle Englishorthodoxe—
3Middle Frenchorthodoxe—
4Latinorthodoxusorthodox
5Ancient Greekὀρθόδοξοςorthodox
6Ancient Greekὀρθόςstraight, upright, erect; straight forward, in a...
7Proto-Hellenicortʰwós—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃r̥dʰwós—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃erdʰ-to increase, grow; upright, high
10Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “unorthodox”

  • unorthodoxly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós →