English
pareidolia
Pareidolia comes from German Pareidolie, from Ancient Greek εἴδωλον ‘image’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéydos‘seeing, image’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéidosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἶδοςeîdos‘form’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἴδωλονeídōlon‘image’
- Germanc. 1650–presentPareidolie
- Englishearliest quotation 1868pareidolia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéydos‘seeing, image’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéidosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἶδοςeîdos‘form’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἴδωλονeídōlon‘image’
- Germanc. 1650–presentPareidolie
- Englishearliest quotation 1868pareidolia
Earliest quotation: 1868, John Sibbald, The British Journal of Psychiatry: “This last is called by Dr. Kahlbaum, changing hallucination,…”
Equivalent to par- + eidolia
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, video, idea, visit, provide, evidence, review, advice, interview, vision, guide, witness, historic, visa, wisdom, advise, invisible, wit, evident, historian, wizard, vista, visibility, wisely, witty, guise, prudent, revise, envious, jurisprudence, unwise, prudence, improvise, avis, revue, purview, druid, twit, vide, 104 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wéydos ‘seeing, image’
through Proto-Hellenic *wéidos
through Ancient Greek εἶδος ‘form’
steroid, tabloid, hypothyroidism, idyll, hyperthyroidism, trapezoid, hyoid, thyroxine, parathyroid, sigmoid, thyroiditis, colloid, eidolon, 48 more
through Ancient Greek εἴδωλον ‘image’
Today it means
noun The tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as interpreting marks on Mars as canals, seeing shapes in clouds, or hearing hidden messages in music.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / pareidolia