manic

the word manic traces its lineage directly to the greek mania, meaning 'madness, frenzy, or enthusiasm,' which itself may have deeper, more obscure origins. it entered english via the latin mania and the late latin adjective maniacus. the adjectival suffix -ic, of greek origin via latin, is routinely attached to nouns to form descriptors. thus, the literal construction 'pertaining to madness' evolved into its modern psychiatric and general usage, describing states of abnormally high excitement, energy, or agitation.

Structure: man (madness) + ic (adjective suffix) man (from latin mania, from greek mania 'madness, frenzy'; functional role: root conveying the core concept of madness or frenzy). ic (from latin -icus, from greek -ikos; functional role: suffix forming adjectives meaning 'of, pertaining to, or characteristic of').