Definition of archaic

The word "archaic" has its roots in ancient Greek. The term "arkhaios" (arkhaēios) means "ancient" or "old-fashioned". This Greek adjective was used to describe something that was characteristic of earlier times, such as an ancient custom or an outdated tradition. When the ancient Greeks encountered lesser-known languages, such as Etruscan, they used the term "arkhaios" to describe the languages' seemingly primitive or antiquated features. This concept was later adopted into Latin as "archaicus", which referred to things that were old, outdated, or barbarous. In the 15th century, the term "archaic" entered the English language, primarily through the influence of Latin. Today, we use "archaic" to describe anything that is old-fashioned, outdated, or no longer widely used, such as an archaic form of language, an ancient custom, or an outdated technology.