Abyss
/əˈbɪs/noun
A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm.
Did you know?In ancient texts, the 'Abyss' was often associated with primordial chaos, a void from which all creation emerged, linking it to both destruction and potential.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*n̥eḱ-
“to sink, to fall”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄβυσσος (ábyssos)
“bottomless, unfathomable”
Latin
Latin
abyssus
“the unfathomable depth, the abyss”
Old French
Old French
abisme
“a deep pit or chasm”
Middle English
Middle English
abisse
“a vast or bottomless depth”
Modern English
English
abyss
“a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, often used in a metaphorical sense.”