fantasia

fantasia · noun¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromφᾰντᾰσῐ́ᾱ“appearance; presentation; pageantry; perception; image”
2. Latin · derived fromphantasia“fancy, fantasy; imagination”
3. Italian · borrowed fromfantasia“imagination, fancy, fantasy; improvisational song”
4. English todayfantasia

Borrowed from Italian fantasia (“imagination, fancy, fantasy; improvisational song”), from Latin phantasia (“fancy, fantasy; imagination”), borrowed from Ancient Greek φᾰντᾰσῐ́ᾱ (phăntăsĭ́ā, “appearance; presentation; pageantry; perception; image”), see that entry for further details. Doublet of fancy, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.

Fantasia · proper noun²

1. Italian · borrowed fromFantasia
2. English todayFantasia

Borrowed from Italian Fantasia.

Fantasia · verb³

1. Italian · borrowed fromfantasia“imagination, fancy, fantasy”
2. English todayFantasia

Presumably borrowed from Italian fantasia (“imagination, fancy, fantasy”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 18th c. A form of instrumental composition with a free structure and improvisational characteristics; specifically, one combining a number of well-known musical pieces.