pastiche

Where does the word "pastiche" come from? It comes from Italian pasticcio, passing through French before entering English (1870s).

Pastiche’s story begins in Italian: pasticcio meant “pie, medley.” A pie or medley, from Latin 'pasta', dough. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as pastiche. A painting or opera made up of borrowings. It reached English by 1870s as pastiche. Used for art and writing that imitates another style. Today, pastiche means a work imitating the style of another artist or period.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · 1500s pasticcio "pie, medley", a pie or medley, from Latin 'pasta', dough.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1700s pastiche "imitative work", a painting or opera made up of borrowings.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1870s pastiche "imitative work", used for art and writing that imitates another style.