Where does “apathy” come from?
Apathy comes from French apathie, from Latin apathia, from Ancient Greek ἀπάθεια, composed of the prefix ἀ- meaning "without" and πάσχω meaning "to suffer or feel."
apathy (English): Lack of emotion or motivation; lack of interest...
Definitions
- Lack of emotion or motivation; lack of interest...
Ancestry of “apathy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | apathie | apathy |
| 2 | Latin | apathīa | A freedom from passion or feeling; insensibility; stoicism |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀπάθεια | want of sensation, impassibility; insensibility,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀπαθής | without sensation or suffering |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |