irony

Where does the word "irony" come from? It comes from Greek eironeia, passing through French before entering English (1500s).

Irony’s story begins in Greek: eironeia meant “feigned ignorance.” Feigned ignorance, a rhetorical technique of understatement. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as ironie. Carried into French rhetorical vocabulary. It reached English by 1500s as irony. Settled as the word for expression conveying the opposite of the literal meaning. Today, irony means the expression of meaning through language that signifies the opposite.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient eironeia "feigned ignorance", feigned ignorance, a rhetorical technique of understatement.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1500s ironie "a mode of speech implying the opposite of what is said", carried into French rhetorical vocabulary.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s irony "expression conveying a meaning opposite to the literal one", settled as the word for expression conveying the opposite of the literal meaning.