English
fantastic
Fantastic comes from Middle French fantastique, from Late Latin phantasticus, from Greek φανταστικός ‘imaginary’, from φαντάζω ‘to make visible’, ultimately from φαίνω ‘to show’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂-n-yé-tireconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνω‘to cause to appear, show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφαντός‘visible’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφαντάζω‘to show, make visible’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφανταστικός‘able to produce the appearance of something’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEphantasticus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600fantastique
- Englishearliest quotation 1661fantastic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂-n-yé-tireconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνω‘to cause to appear, show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφαντός‘visible’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφαντάζω‘to show, make visible’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφανταστικός‘able to produce the appearance of something’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEphantasticus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600fantastique
- Englishearliest quotation 1661fantastic
Earliest quotation: 1661, Robert Boyle, THE CONCLUSION: “And indeed, when in the writings of Paracelſus I…”
Formed from fantasy + -tic
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine’
…
Ancient Greek φαντασία ‘apparition’
Latin phantasia ‘imagination’
Old French fantasie
Middle English fantasie ‘the faculty of imagination’
English fantasy
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-n-yé-ti
Today it means
adj Wonderful; marvelous; excellent; extraordinarily good or great (used especially as an intensifier).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-n-yé-ti / fantastic