Etymograph

English

comedian

Comedian comes from French comédien ‘actor’, from comédie ‘comedy’, and ultimately from Proto-Hellenic *awéidō ‘to sing’.

  1. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*awéidō1‘to sing’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓είδω2‘to sing’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓οιδή3ăoidḗ
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾠδή3ōidḗ‘the art of singing’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκῶμος3kômos‘festival’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀείδω3aeídō‘to sing, chant, praise’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀοιδός3aoidós‘singer, minstrel, bard’
  8. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκωμῳδία4kōmōidía‘comedy’
  9. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōmoedia4
  10. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comedie4
  11. Frenchc. 1600–presentcomédie4‘comedy’
  12. Frenchc. 1600–presentcomédien4‘actor’
  13. Englishearliest quotation a. 1587comedian4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀείδω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀοιδή
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κωμῳδία
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English comedian
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1587, Phillip Sidney [i.e., Philip Sidney]: “This doth the Comedy handle ſo in our priuate…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*awéidōWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀείδω‘to sing’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓είδωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀοιδή‘to sing’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓οιδήWiktionary, Ancient Greek κωμῳδίαăoidḗ
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾠδήWiktionary, Ancient Greek κωμῳδίαōidḗ‘the art of singing’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκῶμοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek κωμῳδίαkômos‘festival’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀείδωWiktionary, Ancient Greek κωμῳδίαaeídō‘to sing, chant, praise’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀοιδόςWiktionary, Ancient Greek κωμῳδίαaoidós‘singer, minstrel, bard’
  8. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκωμῳδίαWiktionary, English comediankōmōidía‘comedy’
  9. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōmoediaWiktionary, English comedian
  10. Old Frenchc. 842–1400comedieWiktionary, English comedian
  11. Frenchc. 1600–presentcomédieWiktionary, English comedian‘comedy’
  12. Frenchc. 1600–presentcomédienWiktionary, English comedian‘actor’
  13. Englishearliest quotation a. 1587comedianWiktionary, English comedian. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1587, Phillip Sidney [i.e., Philip Sidney]: “This doth the Comedy handle ſo in our priuate…”

Equivalent to comedy + -ian

Proto-Hellenic *awéidō ‘to sing’

…

Ancient Greek κωμῳδία ‘comedy’

Latin cōmoedia ‘a comedy’

Middle French comedie

Middle English comedie

English comedy

Linked words

through Ancient Greek ᾠδή ‘the art of singing’

ode, odeon, 2 more

through Ancient Greek κῶμος ‘festival’

comic, 5 more

Today it means

noun An entertainer who performs in a humorous manner, especially by telling jokes.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “comedian”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek ἀείδω, Ancient Greek ἀοιδή, Ancient Greek κωμῳδία. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *awéidō / comedian

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