Where does “agnostic” come from?
Agnostic comes from Ancient Greek ἄγνωστος, formed from the prefix ἀ- and a root from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- meaning "to know," combined with the negating particle ne.
agnostic (English): Of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents;...
Definitions
- Of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents;...
Ancestry of “agnostic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἄγνωστος | unknown, unheard of, forgotten; unknowable;... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
Words derived from “agnostic”