English
emphasis
Emphasis comes from Ancient Greek ἔμφασις ‘significance’, from ἐμφαίνω ‘to present’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂-n-yé-tireconstructedthematic yé-present of *bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňō‘to appear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνωphaínō‘to show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐμφαίνωemphaínō‘to present’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔμφασιςémphasis‘significance’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemphasis
- Englishearliest quotation 1972emphasis
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂-n-yé-tireconstructedthematic yé-present of *bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňō‘to appear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνωphaínō‘to show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐμφαίνωemphaínō‘to present’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔμφασιςémphasis‘significance’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemphasis
- Englishearliest quotation 1972emphasis
Earliest quotation: 1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren: “The second level of reading we will call Inspectional…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine’
phone, focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, fate, fame, photographer, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, abandon, infant, profession, confess, beacon, beck, boon, symphony, eff, fab, fay, bane, fable, foyer, prophetic, buoy, nefarious, profess, bene, banal, banish, infamy, prophesy, cacophony, 116 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō ‘to appear’
through Ancient Greek φαίνω ‘to show’
fancy, fantasy, phenomenon, phantom, epiphany, phenomenology, fantasia, phenomenally, phenol, phenom, tryptophan, phantasm, 41 more
Today it means
noun Special weight or forcefulness given to something considered important.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / emphasis