Etymology

eidolon

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Today it means: An image or representation of an idea; a representation of an ideal form; an apparition of some actual or imaginary entity, or of some aspect of reality. Full definition →

Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon) ← Proto-Hellenic *wéidos ← Proto-Indo-European *wéydos
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wéydos
  3. Proto-Hellenic*wéidos
  4. Ancient Greekεἶδος (eîdos)
  5. Ancient Greekεἴδωλον (eídōlon)
  6. English todayeidolon

From Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “figure, representation”), from εἶδος (eîdos, “sight”), from εἴδω (eídō, “I see”). Doublet of aidoru, idol, and idolum and related to idea.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekεἴδωλον all →

idolanidoliceidolismeidoloscopeidolomancy

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.