hyperbole

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
3. Proto-Hellenic*hupér
4. Ancient Greekῠ̔πέρ (hŭpér)
5. Ancient Greekὑπερ- (huper-)
6. Proto-Indo-European*gʷelH-
7. Proto-Hellenic*gʷəlnō
8. Ancient Greekβάλλω (bállō)
9. Ancient Greekὑπερβάλλω (huperbállō)
10. Ancient Greekὑπερβολή (huperbolḗ)
11. Latinhyperbolē
12. Middle Englishiperbole
13. English todayhyperbole

From Middle English iperbole, yperbole, from Latin hyperbolē, from Ancient Greek ὑπερβολή (huperbolḗ, “excess, exaggeration”), from ὑπέρ (hupér, “above”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-). Doublet of hyperbola.

Words from the same roots