English
cacophony
Cacophony comes from French cacophonie, from Ancient Greek κᾰκοφωνῐ́ᾱ ‘an ill-sound, cacophony’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνήphōnḗ‘sound’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰκόφωνοςkăkóphōnos‘ill-sounding’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰκοφωνῐ́ᾱkăkophōnĭ́ā‘an ill-sound, cacophony’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcacophonie
- Englishearliest quotation 2021cacophony
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνήphōnḗ‘sound’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰκόφωνοςkăkóphōnos‘ill-sounding’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰκοφωνῐ́ᾱkăkophōnĭ́ā‘an ill-sound, cacophony’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcacophonie
- Englishearliest quotation 2021cacophony
Earliest quotation: 2021, Drachinifel: “The Japanese got their attack in first. About ten…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, phase, fate, fancy, fame, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, emphasis, photographer, infant, profession, abandon, phenomenon, beck, phantom, confession, confess, eff, fab, fay, bane, boon, beacon, fable, foyer, banish, buoy, nefarious, profess, fantasia, 121 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́
saxophone, gramophone, phoneme, 14 more
through Ancient Greek φωνή ‘sound’
Today it means
noun A mix of discordant sounds; dissonance.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / cacophony