Etymology

surrealism

sur·re·al·ism
S1U1R1R1E1A1L1I1S1M3

Today it means: An artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious. Full definition →

French surréalisme ← Middle French real ← Old French reel
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Italic*super
  4. Latinsuper
  5. Latinsuper-
  6. Old Frenchsur-
  7. Frenchsur-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*(H)reh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*(H)reh₁ís
  10. Proto-Italic*reis
  11. Classical Latinrēs
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  14. Late Latinreālis
  15. Old Frenchreel
  16. Middle Frenchreal
  17. Frenchréel
  18. Frenchréalisme
  19. Frenchsurréalisme
  20. English todaysurrealism

Borrowed from French surréalisme. By surface analysis, sur- + realism or surreal + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.