English
irenic
Irenic comes from Ancient Greek εἰρηνικός ‘characterized by peace, peaceful’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἰρηνικόςeirēnikós‘characterized by peace, peaceful’
- Englishearliest quotation 1989irenic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἰρηνικόςeirēnikós‘characterized by peace, peaceful’
- Englishearliest quotation 1989irenic
Earliest quotation: 1989, 1830 October 30, Søren Kierkegaard: “Plato and the Athenians must have felt almost as…”
The story
From Ancient Greek εἰρηνικός (eirēnikós, “characterized by peace, peaceful”) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). Εἰρηνικός (Eirēnikós) is derived from εἰρήνη (eirḗnē, “peace”) (possibly from εἴρω (eírō, “to fasten together”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (‘(verb) to bind, tie together; (noun) thread’)), or εἴρω (eírō, “to say, speak”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *werh₁- (‘to say, speak’))) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’).
Every English word from Ancient Greek εἰρηνικός
Today it means
adj Promoting or fitted to promote peace or peacemaking, especially over disputes; conciliatory, non-confrontational, peaceful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek εἰρηνικός / irenic