Panic
early 17th century: from French panique, from modern Latin panicus, from Greek panikos, from the name of the god Pan, noted for causing terror, to whom woodland noises were attributed.
wiktionary
The adjective is borrowed from Middle French panique(“panicked; pertaining to the Greek god Pan”) (modern French panique) + English -ic( suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). Panique is derived from Ancient Greek πανικός(panikós, “pertaining to Pan; of fear: baseless”) and its neuter singular πανικόν(panikón, “a panic”); [1] and πανικός(panikós) from Πάν(Pán, “the Greek god Pan”) (the god of fields and woods who was believed to be the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots; perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-(“to shepherd; to protect”)) + -ῐκός(-ikós, suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). Adjective sense 3 (“pertaining to or resulting from overpowering fear or fright”) is partly an attributive use of the noun. [1]
The noun is derived from the adjective, while the verb is derived from the noun. Verb sense 1.3 (“to highly amuse, entertain, or impress (an audience watching a performance or show”) is derived from noun sense 4 (“a highly amusing or entertaining performer, performance, or show”). [2]
From Late Middle English panik, panyk(“plant of the genus Panicum”), [3] borrowed from Latin pānicum, pānīcum(“foxtail millet or Italian millet (Setaria italica); plant of the genus Panicum, panicgrass”); further etymology uncertain, probably either from pānis(“bread; loaf”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-(“to graze; to protect; to shepherd”)) or pānus(“ear of millet; thread wound on a bobbin”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-(“to twist; to weave”)) + -cum( suffix forming neuter nouns). [4]
etymonline
panic (n.1)
"sudden mass terror," especially an exaggerated fright affecting a number of persons without visible cause or inspired by trifling cause or danger, 1708, from an earlier adjective (c. 1600, modifying fear, terror, etc.), from French panique (15c.), from Greek panikon, literally "pertaining to Pan," the god of woods and fields, who was the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots. In the sense of "panic, fright" the Greek word is short for panikon deima "panic fright," from neuter of Panikos "of Pan."
The meaning "widespread apprehension in a trading community about financial matters" is recorded by 1757. Panic-stricken is attested from 1804. Panic attack attested by 1970. Panic button in a figurative sense is by 1948 in the jargon of jet pilots; the literal sense is by 1965 in reference to prison security.
And if he gets in a tight spot and doesn't know what to do, he "pushes the panic button for two minutes of disorganized confusion." During his first few weeks he may even find the panic button "stuck in the on position." ["How Jet Jockeys Are Made," Popular Science, December 1948]
panic (n.2)
type of grass, mid-15c., panik, from Old French panic "Italian millet," from Latin panicum "panic grass, kind of millet," from panus "ear of millet, a swelling," from PIE root *pa- "to feed."
panic (v.)
1827, "to afflict with panic," from panic (n.). Intransitive sense of "to lose one's head, get into a panic" is from 1902. Related: Panicked; panicking.
