English
litotes
Litotes comes from Late Latin lītotēs, from Ancient Greek λιτότης ‘plainness, simplicity’, and ultimately from λῑ́ς ‘smooth’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλῑ́ςlī́s‘smooth’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEλιτόςlitós‘simple’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEλιτότης‘plainness, simplicity’literally ‘plainness’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CElītotēs
- Englishearliest quotation 1895litotes
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλῑ́ςlī́s‘smooth’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEλιτόςlitós‘simple’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEλιτότης‘plainness, simplicity’literally ‘plainness’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CElītotēs
- Englishearliest quotation 1895litotes
Earliest quotation: 1895, William Congreve, Introduction: “The delicacy which prompts a later generation to reject…”
The story
Learned borrowing from Late Latin lītotēs, from Ancient Greek λιτότης (litótēs, literally “plainness”), from λιτός (litós, “simple”).
Every English word from Ancient Greek λῑ́ς
Today it means
noun A figure of speech whereby something is stated by denying its opposite.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek λῑ́ς / litotes