Etymograph

English

ithyphallic

Ithyphallic comes from Ancient Greek ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος ‘phallus carried in festivals of Bacchus’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῑ̓θῠ́φαλλοςīthŭ́phallos‘phallus carried in festivals of Bacchus’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἰθυφαλλικόςithuphallikós
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEithyphallicus
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1614ithyphallic

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῑ̓θῠ́φαλλοςīthŭ́phallos‘phallus carried in festivals of Bacchus’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἰθυφαλλικόςithuphallikós
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEithyphallicus
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1614ithyphallic

Earliest quotation: 1614, John Selden, London: […] William Stansby for Iohn Helme: “And vvanton Catullus, comparing a heauie fellovv, vnvvorthily bleſt…”

Formed from ithyphallus + -ic

Ancient Greek ἰθύφαλλος ‘Bacchic phallus," literally "straight penis’

Latin ithyphallus

English ithyphallus

The story

Borrowed from Late Latin ithyphallicus, from Ancient Greek ἰθυφαλλικός (ithuphallikós), from ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος (īthŭ́phallos, “phallus carried in festivals of Bacchus; ode sung in honour of the phallus; dance accompanying such an ode; dancer performing such a dance”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος is derived from ἰθῠ́ς (ithŭ́s) (variant of εὐθῠ́ς (euthŭ́s, “straight”)) + φαλλός (phallós, “penis; image of a penis, phallus”). The English word can be analysed as ithyphallus + -ic. As regards the noun, compare Latin ithyphallicum (‘poem with the same metre as the hymns to Priapus’).

Every English word from Ancient Greek ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος

Today it means

adj Of or pertaining to the erect phallus that was carried in bacchic processions.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος / ithyphallic

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