frenetic

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromφρενητικός“delirious”
2. Latin · derived fromphreneticus
3. Old French · derived fromfrenetike
4. Middle English · inherited fromfrenetik
5. English todayfrenetic

From Middle English frenetik (also frentik, frentyk, frantike > modern English frantic), from Old French frenetike, from Latin phreneticus, from Ancient Greek φρενητικός (phrenētikós, “delirious”), from φρενῖτις (phrenîtis, “delirium”), from φρήν (phrḗn, “mind”). Doublet of frantic and phrenitic. Etymologically, initial stress would be expected (compare the syncopic form phrentic); the modern pronunciation with stress on the second syllable is due to the influence of other words ending in -etic such as phonetic and sympathetic.