English
pygmy
Pygmy comes from Latin Pygmaeī, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος ‘a member of a legendary race of dwarves’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘to punch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pewǵ-‘to punch’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπυγμήpugmḗ‘fist’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπυγμαῖοςpugmaîos‘a member of a legendary race of dwarves’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPygmaeī
- Englishearliest quotation 1614pygmy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pewǵ-‘to punch’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπυγμήpugmḗ‘fist’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπυγμαῖοςpugmaîos‘a member of a legendary race of dwarves’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPygmaeī
- Englishearliest quotation 1614pygmy
Earliest quotation: 1614, Samvel Pvrchas, Pvrchas his Pilgrimage: “Here are little Apes, much reſembling men in their…”
first attested In Ancient Greek, first mentioned by Homer; only applied to actual human races in the 19th century (as stated in the etymology)
The story
In Ancient Greek, first mentioned by Homer; only applied to actual human races in the 19th century.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘to punch’
point, fuck, punch, fist, pivot, poignant, puncture, pungent, repugnant, punto, punctuate, compunction, pugnacious, impugn, pugilist, 41 more
Today it means
noun A member of various legendary races of dwarfs, or supernatural peoples of diminutive stature.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- / pygmy