Etymology Map
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Exotic

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means originating in a distant foreign country

Where does the word "exotic" come from? It comes from Greek exōtikos, passing through French before entering English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
exōtikos
Greek · ancient
"foreign"
Greek, from 'exō', outside
2
Stage 2 of 3
exotique
French · 1500s
"foreign"
came via Latin 'exoticus'
3
Stage 3 of 3
exotic
English · 1590s
"foreign"
the sense 'strikingly unusual' dates from the 1600s
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Read the full story

Exotic’s story begins in Greek: exōtikos meant “foreign.” Greek, from 'exō', outside. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as exotique. Came via Latin 'exoticus'. It reached English by 1590s as exotic. The sense 'strikingly unusual' dates from the 1600s. Today, exotic means originating in a distant foreign country.