Etymology

grotesque

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Today it means: Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal, especially in a hideous way. Full definition →

Middle French grotesque ← Italian grottesco ← Latin crypta
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The story

  1. Ancient Greekκρύπτω (krúptō)
  2. Ancient Greekκρυπτή (kruptḗ)
  3. Latincrypta
  4. Italiangrotta
  5. Italiangrottesco
  6. Middle Frenchgrotesque
  7. English todaygrotesque

Borrowed from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, from grotta (“cave”) + -esco (relational suffix). By surface analysis, grotto + -esque. Compare French grotesque, English grotto.

Words from the same roots

Italiangrottesco all →

grotesquerie

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.