farcical etymology

Etymology

  • Farce (noun): "a low form of comedy using exaggerated characters and situations"
  • -ical (suffix): "relating to or characterized by"

Meaning

Farcical means "marked by farce, especially in being excessively or absurdly humorous."

Origin

The word "farcical" derives from the French word "farce," which has two possible origins:

  • Middle Dutch: "farce," meaning "meat stuffing"
  • Provençal: "farcir," meaning "to stuff"

In the 13th century, "farce" was used to refer to a type of short play performed between the acts of a mystery play. These farces were often filled with slapstick humor and vulgarity. By the 15th century, "farce" had come to mean any type of play that was characterized by low humor.

The English word "farcical" first appeared in the 16th century. It initially meant "pertaining to a farce," but it gradually came to be used more generally to describe anything that was excessively or absurdly humorous.

Examples of Farcical

  • The comedian's jokes were so over-the-top that they were almost farcical.
  • The movie was a complete farce, with ridiculous characters and improbable situations.
  • The politician's speech was filled with such exaggeration and bombast that it was almost farcical.

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