whimsy etymology

Etymology:

The word "whimsy" is derived from the Middle English word "whimse," which itself is thought to have originated from an unrecorded Old Norse word meaning "to spin or reel."

Meaning:

Whimsy refers to:

• A playful or capricious humor.
• A whimsical or eccentric notion or idea.
• Something that is fanciful, strange, or quaint.

Origin:

The exact origin of the word "whimsy" is unclear, but it is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. It is first recorded in the English language in the late 1400s, in a Scottish poem by Robert Henryson.

Over time, the word "whimsy" has evolved in meaning. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was primarily used to refer to a whim or caprice. In the 18th century, its meaning expanded to include more fanciful and imaginative qualities.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, "whimsy" became associated with literature, art, and popular culture, particularly in the context of works that celebrated the playful, the unexpected, and the surrealist.

whimsy relate terms

• whimwham

  Etymology Whimsical Originating from the 16th century term whimsy meaning a whim

• flim flam

  Etymology Flim flam is an American colloquialism that originated in the early 19th ce

• limpsy

  Etymology and Meaning Limpsy is an adjective that means lacking strength firmness o

• limp

  Etymology The word limp is derived from the Middle English word limpen which means

• cutesy

  Etymology The word cutesy is a portmanteau a combination of two words of cute and

• flimsy

  Etymology Flimsy is derived from the Middle Dutch word flems meaning lame or wea

• tipsy

  Etymology The word tipsy derives from the Middle English word tippen meaning to ove

• whimsy

  Etymology The word whimsy is derived from the Middle English word whimse which itse

• drowsy

  Etymology Middle English drosi from Old English drūsian to be heavy or drowsy The

• notion

  Etymology of Notion The word notion originates from the Old French word notion meani

• pedal

  Etymology The word pedal comes from the Latin word pedalis which means of the foot

• thought

  Etymology The word thought comes from the Old English word thoht which means mind

• idea

  Etymology The word idea is derived from the Greek word idein ἰδεῖν meaning

• absorb

  Etymology The word absorb comes from the Latin word absorbere which means to suck

• alchemy

  Etymology Alchemy comes from the Medieval Latin word alchemia which is derived from th

• appeal

  Etymology The word appeal comes from the Latin word appellare which means to call

• empty

  Etymology The word empty comes from the Middle English word emty which in turn is d