English
poetry
Poetry comes from Middle English poetrye, from Old French pöeterie, from Medieval Latin poētria, from Latin poēta, from Greek ποιητής ‘poet’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEποιητήςpoiētḗs‘poet; maker’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpoēta‘poet’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500poētria
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pöeterie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500poetrye
- Englishearliest quotation 2004poetry
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEποιητήςpoiētḗs‘poet; maker’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpoēta‘poet’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500poētria
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pöeterie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500poetrye
- Englishearliest quotation 2004poetry
Earliest quotation: 2004, George Carlin, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?: “More people write poetry than read it.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kʷey- ‘to pile, stow, gather’
pain, penalty, punishment, pine, punish, titanium, penal, punitive, impunity, whey, subpoena, 22 more
through Ancient Greek ποιέω ‘to make’
Today it means
noun Literature composed in verse or language exhibiting conscious attention to patterns and rhythm.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ποιητής / poetry