English
cosmetics
Cosmetics comes from Ancient Greek κοσμητική ‘the art of dress and ornament’, from κόσμησις ‘an adorning’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- ‘to announce, put in order’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱens-‘to announce, put in order’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱónsmosreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kónsmosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκόσμος‘order’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκοσμέωkosméō‘to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκόσμησις‘an adorning’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκοσμητικός‘the art of dress and ornament’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκοσμητικήkosmētikḗ‘the art of dress and ornament’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcosmétique
- Englishearliest quotation 2004cosmetics
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱens-‘to announce, put in order’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱónsmosreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kónsmosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκόσμος‘order’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκοσμέωkosméō‘to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκόσμησις‘an adorning’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκοσμητικός‘the art of dress and ornament’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκοσμητικήkosmētikḗ‘the art of dress and ornament’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcosmétique
- Englishearliest quotation 2004cosmetics
Earliest quotation: 2004, Lewis Sorley, Vietnam Chronicles: The Abrams Tapes: “In the great fishbowl that we're doing everything in…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- ‘to announce, put in order’
census, charm, censor, censure, 13 more
through Proto-Hellenic *kónsmos
through Ancient Greek κόσμος ‘order’
Today it means
noun Preparations applied externally to change or enhance the beauty of skin, hair, nails, lips, and eyes.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- / cosmetics