Fantasyland
/ˈfæn.tə.si.lænd/noun
An imaginary, unreal, or idealized place or situation.
Did you know?Although the word itself is modern, its first half ultimately comes from Greek phantasia, the same root behind words for visions, appearances, and the power of making something seem real.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bheh₂-
“to shine, appear”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phantázesthai / phantasia
“to make visible, appearance, imagination”
Late Latin
Latin
phantasia
“appearance, imagination, fancy”
Middle English
English
fantasye / fantasy
“imagination, a mental image, a whimsical notion”
19th Century
English
fantasy + land
“a coined compound for an imaginary place”
Modern English
English
fantasyland
“an unreal or idealized place or condition”
Explore more surprising origins