Atticism
/ˈæt.ɪ.sɪ.zəm/noun
A style of writing or speech that imitates the refined language and taste associated with ancient Athens.
Did you know?In antiquity, Atticism was treated like a prestige filter: writers used it to signal cultural authority by echoing the language of Athens, the city that became the gold standard of “correct” speech.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἀττικισμός (Attikismós)
“A manner of speaking or writing like the Athenians”
Classical Greek
Greek
Ἀττικός (Attikós)
“Of Attica; Athenian”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἀττική (Attikḗ)
“Attica, the region of Athens”
Latin
Latin
Atticismus
“Attic style; imitation of Attic Greek usage”
Late Middle English
English
atticisme
“A preference for the refined style associated with classical Athenian Greek”
Modern English
English
atticism
“A style of language or expression modeled on Attic Greek”