English
eidetic
Eidetic comes from Ancient Greek εἰδητικός ‘formal’, from εἶδος ‘form’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéydos‘seeing, image’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéidosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἶδοςeîdos‘form’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἰδητικόςeidētikós‘formal’
- Germanc. 1650–presenteidetisch
- Englishearliest quotation 1979eidetic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéydos‘seeing, image’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéidosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἶδοςeîdos‘form’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἰδητικόςeidētikós‘formal’
- Germanc. 1650–presenteidetisch
- Englishearliest quotation 1979eidetic
Earliest quotation: 1979, Kyril Bonfiglioli, After You with the Pistol: “‘Funny that I should remember it? I have an…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, review, visit, video, interview, idea, evidence, provide, advice, vision, witness, historic, wisdom, guide, visa, advise, invisible, wit, wizard, historian, visibility, vista, wisely, evident, witty, revise, guise, envious, prudent, unwise, revue, improvise, jurisprudence, avis, prudence, purview, druid, twit, voyeur, 104 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wéydos ‘seeing, image’
through Proto-Hellenic *wéidos
through Ancient Greek εἶδος ‘form’
idol, steroid, tabloid, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, idyll, parathyroid, trapezoid, thyroxine, hyoid, colloid, sigmoid, thyroiditis, 49 more
Today it means
adj Marked by or resulting from extraordinary ability to recall detailed and vivid mental images of visual images.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / eidetic