Etymograph

English

hyperbolic

Hyperbolic comes from Ancient Greek ὑπερβολικός ‘hyperbolic, exaggerated’, from ὑπερβολή ‘excess, extremity’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-1‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnō1reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω2‘to throw, cast, hurl’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑπερβάλλω2huperbállō‘to go beyond, exceed’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑπερβολή3‘excess, extremity’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑπερβολικός4huperbolikós‘hyperbolic, exaggerated’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhyperbolic(us)4
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2005hyperbolic4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολή
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολικός
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English hyperbolic
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Paul Churchland, Chimerical colors: some phenomenological predictions from co: “Using the techniques already explored, we can contrive to…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōWiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολή‘to throw, cast, hurl’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑπερβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολήhuperbállō‘to go beyond, exceed’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑπερβολήWiktionary, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολικός‘excess, extremity’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑπερβολικόςWiktionary, English hyperbolichuperbolikós‘hyperbolic, exaggerated’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhyperbolic(us)Wiktionary, English hyperbolic
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2005hyperbolicWiktionary, English hyperbolic. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Paul Churchland, Chimerical colors: some phenomenological predictions from co: “Using the techniques already explored, we can contrive to…”

first attested First attested in the 15th century (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in the 15th century.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’

ball, 70 more

through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō

40 more

through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw, cast, hurl’

problem, devil, symbol, emblem, metabolic, 40 more

Today it means

adj Of or relating to hyperbole.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “hyperbolic”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek βάλλω, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολή, Ancient Greek ὑπερβολικός. 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-Indo-European *gʷelH- / hyperbolic

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