anecdote

Where does the word "anecdote" come from? It comes from Greek anekdota, and was adopted directly into English (1670s).

Anecdote’s story begins in Greek: anekdota meant “unpublished things.” Literally unpublished things, from an- (not) and ekdotos (published). It reached English by 1670s as anecdote. Broadened from secret historical accounts to any short, entertaining story. Today, anecdote means a short, entertaining story about a real incident or person.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient anekdota "unpublished things", literally unpublished things, from an- (not) and ekdotos (published).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1670s anecdote "a short, entertaining account of an incident", broadened from secret historical accounts to any short, entertaining story.