English
symbolics
Symbolics comes from Ancient Greek συμβολικός ‘of or belonging to a symbol’, from σύμβολον ‘a sign or token by which one infers a thing’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-1‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-1reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnō1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω2‘to throw, put’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσύμβολον3‘a sign or token by which one infers a thing’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυμβολικός4sumbolikós‘of or belonging to a symbol’
- Englishtodaysymbolics4
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σύμβολον
- 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek συμβολικός
- 4 Wiktionary, English symbolics
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōWiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek σύμβολον‘to throw, put’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσύμβολονWiktionary, Ancient Greek συμβολικός‘a sign or token by which one infers a thing’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυμβολικόςWiktionary, English symbolicssumbolikós‘of or belonging to a symbol’
- EnglishtodaysymbolicsWiktionary, English symbolics
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’
ball, quail, quill, quell, obelisk, pul, 66 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw, put’
problem, devil, emblem, parable, metabolic, hyperbolic, parabolic, embolism, anabolic, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more
Today it means
noun The study of ancient symbols.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “symbolics”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek βάλλω, Ancient Greek σύμβολον, Ancient Greek συμβολικός. 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- / symbolics