Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “anomie” come from?

Anomie comes from French anomie, from Ancient Greek ἀνομία, a formation of ἄνομος (lawless) combining ἀ- (not) with νέμω (to distribute or allot law), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning not and distribute.

anomie (English): Alienation or social instability caused by...

Definitions

  1. Alienation or social instability caused by...

Ancestry of “anomie”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchanomieanomie
2Ancient Greekἀνομίαlawlessness
3Ancient Greekἄνομοςlawless, impious; without the Mosaic law, hence...
4Ancient Greekἀ-The alpha privativum, used to make words that...
5Proto-Hellenichə-same; together
6Proto-Indo-Europeansm̥-one; with, together
7Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one

Words derived from “anomie”

  • anomic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sem- →