English
anecdote
Anecdote comes from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος ‘accounts unpublished’, from ἔκδοτος ‘published’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dédeh₃ti‘to be giving’reconstructedreduplicated athematic present of *deh₃-
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίδωμιdídōmi‘I give’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐκδίδωμιekdídōmi‘I publish’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔκδοτοςékdotos‘published’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνέκδοτοςanékdotos‘accounts unpublished’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentanecdote
- Englishearliest quotation 1839same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dédeh₃ti‘to be giving’reconstructedreduplicated athematic present of *deh₃-
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίδωμιdídōmi‘I give’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐκδίδωμιekdídōmi‘I publish’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔκδοτοςékdotos‘published’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνέκδοτοςanékdotos‘accounts unpublished’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentanecdote
- Englishearliest quotation 1839same form
Earliest quotation: 1839, Commercial Travellers: “Like all travellers, he is full of anecdote, and…”
The story
Virtually identical cognates in other European languages – French anecdote, German Anekdote, Spanish anécdota, among others.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’
add, addition, date, delicious, donation, donor, donate, vendor, rendition, dow, additive, dowry, addendum, condone, dowager, perdition, endow, dower, venta, dati, sconce, 38 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti ‘to be giving’
data, die, rent, tradition, surrender, treason, vent, render, rendezvous, antidote, dative, dacha, 19 more
through Ancient Greek δίδωμι ‘I give’
Today it means
noun A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- / anecdote