*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of epi-

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épi Proto-Hellenic *epí Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí) Ancient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-)der. English epi- Derived from Ancient Greek ἐπ

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
prefix

Above in location or position. · Upon, atop, directly on top of in terms of position. · Relating to epigenetics. · Secondary: a consequence, by-product, additional, or lesser version.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épi Proto-Hellenic *epí Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí) Ancient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-)der. English epi- Derived from Ancient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-), from ἐπί (epí).

This page abbreviates 23 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "grc:ἐπῐ-",
        "text": "2",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.\nProto-Indo-European *h₁épsder.\nProto-Indo-European *h₁épi\nProto-Hellenic *epí\nAncient Greek ἐπί (epí)\nAncient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-)der.\nEnglish epi-\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*h₁éps\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₁ep-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₁épi\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Hellenic\", \"term\" : \"*epí\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"grk-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ἐπί\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ἐπῐ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"epi-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"epi-\">\nDerived from Ancient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-), from ἐπί (epí)."
    },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₁ep-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁ep-"
    ],
    [
      "*h₁épi",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁épi"
    ],
    [
      "*epí",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/epí"
    ],
    [
      "ἐπί",
      "ἐπί#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ἐπῐ-",
      "ἐπι-#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ἐπῐ-",
      "ἐπι-#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ἐπί",
      "ἐπί#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "Above in location or position.",
        "Upon, atop, directly on top of in terms of position.",
        "Relating to epigenetics.",
        "Secondary: a consequence, by-product, additional, or lesser version."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 186779
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 23,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for epi- →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZXBpLQ