fancy

Where does the word "fancy" come from? It comes from Greek phantasía, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Fancy’s story begins in Greek: phantasía meant “imagination.” 'appearance, imagination', from phainein 'to show'; Aristotle's On the Soul analyses phantasia as the mind's power to form images. By classical, the word had taken hold in Latin as phantasia. Quintilian recommends the orator summon vivid phantasiae, mental pictures, to move an audience. It reached English by 1400s as fancy. Via Old French fantasie English first got 'fantasy', and 'fancy' is its contraction; Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice (c. 1597) asks 'Tell me where is fancy bred'. Today, fancy means elaborate or decorative; a liking or whim; to want or imagine.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient phantasía "imagination", 'appearance, imagination', from phainein 'to show'; Aristotle's On the Soul analyses phantasia as the mind's power to form images.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · classical phantasia "mental image", Quintilian recommends the orator summon vivid phantasiae, mental pictures, to move an audience.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s fancy "imagination; whim; ornate", via Old French fantasie English first got 'fantasy', and 'fancy' is its contraction; Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice (c. 1597) asks 'Tell me where is fancy bred'.