Etymograph

English

phrase

Phrase comes from Late Latin phrasis ‘diction’, and goes back to Ancient Greek φράσις ‘manner of expression’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφράσις1phrásis‘manner of expression’
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEphrasis1‘diction’
  3. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606phrase1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English phrase
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “Thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφράσιςWiktionary, English phrasephrásis‘manner of expression’
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEphrasisWiktionary, English phrase‘diction’
  3. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606phraseWiktionary, English phrase. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “Thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek φράσις

Today it means

noun A short written or spoken expression.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “phrase”. 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 / Ancient Greek φράσις / phrase

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