English
phantom
Phantom comes from Middle English fantome ‘a phantom or apparition’, from Ancient Greek φᾰντᾰ́ζω ‘to show’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂nyétireconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňō‘to appear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνωphaínō‘to cause to appear’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφᾰντός‘visible’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφᾰντᾰ́ζωphăntắzō‘to show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφάντασμαphántasma‘phantasm, an appearance, image, apparition, specter’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphantasma‘an apparition, specter’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fantosme‘ghost (apparition)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fantome‘a phantom or apparition’
- Englishearliest quotation 1899phantom
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂nyétireconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňō‘to appear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνωphaínō‘to cause to appear’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφᾰντός‘visible’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφᾰντᾰ́ζωphăntắzō‘to show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφάντασμαphántasma‘phantasm, an appearance, image, apparition, specter’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphantasma‘an apparition, specter’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fantosme‘ghost (apparition)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fantome‘a phantom or apparition’
- Englishearliest quotation 1899phantom
Earliest quotation: 1899, Stephen Crane: “[…] (it was the town's humour to be always…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
phone, focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, fate, fame, ban, profession, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, photographer, confession, abandon, confess, beacon, beck, symphony, infant, boon, eff, fab, fay, fable, foyer, prophetic, buoy, nefarious, bane, profess, bene, infamy, banish, banal, prophesy, 117 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō ‘to appear’
through Ancient Greek φαίνω ‘to cause to appear’
fancy, emphasis, phenomenon, epiphany, phenomenology, phenol, phenomenally, phenom, tryptophan, 42 more
through Ancient Greek φᾰντός ‘visible’
through Ancient Greek φᾰντᾰ́ζω ‘to show’
Today it means
noun A ghost or apparition.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / phantom