antic English · revision 2153

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈæn.tɪk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|it|antico|t=ancient]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[der|la|antiquus|t=old, ancient]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It was first spelled ''antike'' or ''anticke'', later ''antique'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) so it is a doublet of [[antique]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A grotesque or comical gesture or act (1529).^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Italian the word was used, like ''grottesco'', of the fantastic figures of people, animals and plants on ancient Roman murals unearthed in the 16th century, especially in the Baths of Titus.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(AHD) The sense was extended to anything similarly bizarre,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and English took it mainly for ludicrous behaviour, and for a clown who performs it.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(AHD) In art it named fantastic, incongruously combined figures (1540s).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In the 17th century the spelling ''antique'' was kept for the “old” sense,^(Etymonline) leaving ''antic'' to mean grotesque or playful.^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1529 – noun, a grotesque or ludicrous act.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1548 – adjective, grotesque, in art and decoration.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1589 – verb, to perform antics.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590 – adjective, absurd in gesture.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A playful, ludicrous or extravagant act; a caper (usually plural).^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A buffoon or clown.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(AHD)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Ludicrous and odd; fantastic or grotesque.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Playful and absurd.^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antically]]

+ * [[anticly]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ancient]]

+ * [[antiquarian]]

+ * [[antiquary]]

+ * [[antiquated]]

+ * [[antique]]

+ * [[antiquity]]

+ * [[grotesque]]

+ * [[caper]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}