Fiction
/ˈfɪkʃən/noun
The act of creating narratives that are not based on real events.
Did you know?The Latin root 'fingere' not only means 'to shape' but also relates to the idea of creating illusions, linking storytelling to ancient sorcery.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeǵʰ-
“to put, to do, to place; the root of shaping or forming ideas.”
Latin
Latin
fingere
“to shape, to form, to invent; a term used for crafting both physical forms and narratives.”
Old French
Old French
fiction
“the act of making up stories; borrowed from Latin, emphasizing creation.”
Middle English
Middle English
fiction
“the action of fashioning narratives, often with an element of deception.”
Modern English
English
fiction
“a literary genre that encompasses stories based on imaginative creation rather than fact.”