Fortean
/fɔːrˈtiː.ən/noun
Relating to strange, unexplained, or anomalous phenomena.
Did you know?Fortean comes from Charles Fort, the writer who collected reports of bizarre anomalies, so the word itself is a modern eponym rather than an ancient occult term.
Etymological Timeline
Early 20th Century
English
Fortean
“Pertaining to Charles Fort or to anomalous phenomena associated with his work”
1900s
English
Charles Fort
“Name of the American writer who compiled reports of unexplained events”
1919
English
The Book of the Damned
“Fort’s book collecting excluded and unexplained phenomena”
Modern English
English
fortean
“A term used for strange, unexplained, or anomalous phenomena”