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Where does the word "technique" come from? It comes from Greek tekhnē, passing through French before entering English (1817).
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Where does the word "technique" come from? It comes from Greek tekhnē, passing through French before entering English (1817).
Technique’s story begins in Greek: tekhnē meant “art, skill.” Greek, the root of 'technology'. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as technique. Coined in French from 'technikos'. It reached English by 1817 as technique. 'technical' dates from the 1600s. Today, technique means a way of carrying out a task.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient tekhnē "art, skill", Greek, the root of 'technology'.
- Stage 2 · French · 1700s technique "technique", coined in French from 'technikos'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1817 technique "method of performance", 'technical' dates from the 1600s.