Etymograph

English

rhetoric

Rhetoric comes from Ancient Greek ῥητορῐκή τέχνη.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥητορῐκή τέχνηrhētorĭkḗ tékhnē
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEῥητορικὴrhētorikḕ
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErhētorica
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rhetorique
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2023rhetoric

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥητορῐκή τέχνηrhētorĭkḗ tékhnē
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEῥητορικὴrhētorikḕ
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErhētorica
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rhetorique
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2023rhetoric

Earliest quotation: 2023, Howard Johnston, Was Marples the real railway wrecker?: “Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek ῥητορῐκή τέχνη

Another origin of rhetoric

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*werh₁-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéryeti‘to be saying’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéřřō‘to say, to tell’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἴρωeírō‘to say’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEῥήτωρrhḗtōr‘public speaker’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEῥητορικόςrhētorikós‘concerning public speaking or oration, rhetorical’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErhētoricus‘rhetorical, of or pertaining to rhetoric or a rhetoritician’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rhetorique
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rhetorik
  10. Englishtodayrhetoric

Today it means

noun The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ῥητορῐκή τέχνη / rhetoric

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