Etymology Map
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Hallucinate

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to experience something that isn't there

Where does the word "hallucinate" come from? It comes from Latin hallucinari, adopted directly into English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
hallucinari
Latin · ancient
"to wander in mind"
possibly from Greek 'alyein', to be distraught
2
Stage 2 of 2
hallucinate
English · 1600s
"to be deceived"
psychiatric 'hallucinations' date from the 1800s
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Hallucinate’s story begins in Latin: hallucinari meant “to wander in mind.” Possibly from Greek 'alyein', to be distraught. It reached English by 1600s as hallucinate. Psychiatric 'hallucinations' date from the 1800s. Today, hallucinate means to experience something that isn't there.