Etymology: Where does ’aromantic’ come from?

10.10.2022

The word 'aromantic' is made up of two parts: "a-", meaning "not" or "without" (Britannica a), and "romantic", here meaning something in relation to romantic love. But what is this 'something'? What is the difference between romance and romanticism? And what exactly is 'romantic'?

In Old French, which can be traced back to 842 (see Britannica b), the word romanz was used to refer to "verse narrative [as well as] the vulgar language" (Etymonline a). 'The vulgar language' here refers to vernacular languages that are not Latin: so-called Romance languages. The term 'Romance languages' is still used today and describes a certain set of languages of European descent, including French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. 'Verse narrative' is what we may, somewhat simplifying, call poetry.

Around 1300, romaunce refers to "a story, written or recited, in verse, telling of the adventures of a knight, hero, etc." (Etymonline a). This story is often "designed principally for entertainment" (Etymonline a). Similarly, in the late 14th century, romauncen is used as a verb meaning to "recite a narrative poem" (Etymonline a). Here, today's term 'romantic' (and its variations in spelling such as 'romantique' and 'romantick') is used to describe something as "fictitious, invented; [as] having no foundation in fact" (OED) - such as poetry or literature. Traces of this can be found in modern French and German, for example, where novels are still called roman and Roman respectively.

Jumping a few hundred years in time from the Middle Ages, the European 18th and 19th centuries were shaped by a cultural epoch which is called Romanticism. Today, this Romantic Period is renowned mostly for its art such as music, literary works, and paintings. Shortly before this time (around the 1650s), 'romantic' was used specifically to describe things that were "of the nature of a literary romance, partaking of the heroic or marvelous" (Etymonline b). By 1705 it could be used to refer to places "characterized by poetic or inspiring scenery" (Etymonline b). During the period of Romanticism, the meaning of the word expanded not only from fictitious stories onto places but also to people and more abstract concepts. Plans and ideas "going beyond what is customary or practical" (OED) were referred to as romantic, and so were people "characterized by such ideas [who were] responsive to the promptings of imagination or fancy regardless of practicality" (OED). Romantic in this time is used in reference to ultimately unattainable, impractical ideals and idealized versions of things - which in itself can still be understood as a kind of fiction.

We also still see this meaning today, for example in the terms 'hopeless romantic' or 'to romanticize.' In the 1960s we see romantic meaning "having a love affair as a theme" (Etymonline b) as a usage of the word that has developed from mainly literary depictions of idealized love affairs since the 1660s (see: Etymonline b). While 'romantic' is also still used to refer back to the Romantic era (in this context sometimes spelled with a capital R), it is mainly used today to describe things "marked by expressions of love or affection" (Merriam-Webster), such as romantic attraction, romantic relationships, romantic dinners etc.

The first use of the word "aromantic" can be traced back to 2002, more specifically to April 27, 2002. It was suggested on a Yahoo mailing list based around an early asexual community to be used to describe "somebody who is not quite asexual but who dreads the concept of being in a 'relationship [...]'" (maxnova100). Although at first suggested as a bit of a joke, the term caught on and is now used in various ways. Today, 'aromantic' is used to mean a variety of different things. It can be used to describe "people who experience little to no romantic attraction to others" (AUREA), as well as people who are "disconnected from normative societal expectations [e.g.] due to feeling repulsed by romance, or due to being uninterested in romantic relationships" (ASAW). Because of this variety of meanings, aromanticism is sometimes referred to as a spectrum, thereby explicitly using 'aromantic' as an umbrella term.


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