pataphysique.

Coined by French writer Alfred Jarry. In his work Gestes et opinions du docteur Faustroll pataphysicien (“Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician”), the etymology is given as Ancient Greek ἔπι (μετὰ τὰ φυσικά) (épi (metà tà phusiká), “over (metaphysics))”), an allusion to Τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά (Tà metà tà phusiká, literally “the [writings] after the Physics”), the original title of Metaphysics by Aristotle. The invented prefix pata- plays with the proximity of words such as patate (“potato”) or pataquès (“mumble”).