English
critic
Critic comes from Latin criticus ‘critical, decisive’, from Ancient Greek κριτικός ‘of or for judging, able to discern’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *krey- ‘to sift, separate, divide’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krey-‘to sift, separate, divide’root as named
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρίνωkrínō‘to judge’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκριτικόςkritikós‘of or for judging, able to discern’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcriticus‘critical, decisive’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600critique
- Englishearliest quotation 1689critic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krey-‘to sift, separate, divide’root as named
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρίνωkrínō‘to judge’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκριτικόςkritikós‘of or for judging, able to discern’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcriticus‘critical, decisive’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600critique
- Englishearliest quotation 1689critic
Earliest quotation: 1689, London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt: “And, perhaps, if they were distinctly weighed, and duly…”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *krey- ‘to sift, separate, divide’
certain, secretary, secret, crime, criminal, discrimination, discretion, discrete, discreet, discern, discriminate, riddle, hypocrite, endocrine, excrement, excretion, incriminate, rime, excrete, ridder, incrimination, recrimination, certitude, criterium, 48 more
through Ancient Greek κρίνω ‘to judge’
Today it means
noun A person who appraises the works of others.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *krey- / critic