Etymology

graffiti

graf·fi·ti
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Today it means: Drawings or words drawn on a surface in a public place, usually made without authorization. Full definition →

Italian graffiti ← Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω (grắphō) ← Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gerbʰ-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*grə́pʰō
  3. Ancient Greekγρᾰ́φω (grắphō)
  4. Italiangraffire
  5. Italiangraffito
  6. Italiangraffiti
  7. English todaygraffiti

Borrowed from Italian graffiti, from graffito, from graffire, borrowed from Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω (grắphō, “to write”), from Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō, from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ-.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.