Kynikos
/kʊˈnɪkɒs/noun
A Greek term meaning “dog-like,” later used for the philosophical school of the Cynics.
Did you know?The Cynics got their name from Greek kyon, “dog,” because they were seen as shameless, street-living, and fiercely unfiltered—turning a slur into a spiritual identity.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
κυνικός (kynikos)
“dog-like; of or belonging to a dog”
Ancient Greek
Gk
κύων (kyōn)
“dog”
Late Classical Greece
Gk
Κυνικοί (Kynikoi)
“the Cynics, philosophers associated with austere, anti-conventional living”
Latin
Lat
cynicus
“Cynic; pertaining to the Cynic philosophers”
Old French
OF
cynique
“Cynic; dog-like, snarling, contemptuous”
Modern English
Eng
cynic
“a person who believes people are motivated chiefly by self-interest”