fancy

fancy · noun, adjective, adverb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰh₂nyéti
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromφαντασία
3. Late Latin · derived fromphantasia“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”
4. Medieval Latin · derived fromfantasia
5. Old French · derived fromfantasie
6. Middle English · derived fromfansy
7. English todayfancy

From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”), from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.

fancy · verb²

1. Old French · derived fromfantasier
2. Middle English · inherited fromfancien
3. English todayfancy

From Middle English fancien, fantasien, fantesien, from Old French fantasier, from the noun (see above)).

Fancy · proper noun³

From Old English.

Words from the same roots