antik

Antik is a common adjective used in several languages to denote relations to the distant past, typically translated as antique, ancient, or classical. In German, antik describes objects, styles, or periods associated with antiquity, such as furniture, art, or architecture that date from classical civilizations or earlier. In Turkish, antik likewise refers to antiquities and items from ancient times, and is used in phrases such as antik eserler (antique works) and antik çağ (ancient era).

Etymology and usage: the word derives from Latin antiquus via French antique, and it was adopted into German in the early modern period. Turkish usage reflects broader Western European loanword influence in modern Turkish. The term is applied in museums, commerce, and cultural discourse to categorize artifacts, decorative arts, and monuments that belong to ancient or early historical periods, as well as to describe stylistic revivals that imitate classical forms, sometimes described as antique or classical revival styles.

In addition to its use as an adjective, antik appears in brand names or titles in some contexts, though its core meaning remains historical or old. The term is distinct from the Greek-derived prefix anti-, which appears in many technical terms and conveys opposition; antik, by contrast, signals antiquity or aged character.

See also antiquity, antique, antique furniture, classical revival.