Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “atavistic” come from?

Atavistic comes from English atavism plus the suffix -ic, from Latin -ista and avus meaning grandfather, with Proto-Indo-European origins in -kos and -yéti.

atavistic (English): of the recurrence of a trait reappearing after an...

Definitions

  1. of the recurrence of a trait reappearing after an...

Ancestry of “atavistic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-isticUsed to form adjectives from nouns or from other...
2Englishsensationalisticsensationalist
3EnglishsensationalOf or pertaining to sensation; Piquing or...
4EnglishsensationA physical feeling or perception from something...
5Latinsensatiounderstanding, knowledge, intelligence
6Latinsensatussensible, intelligent, gifted with sense
7Latinsēnsus—
8Dutchcensus—
9Latincensuscensus, a registering of the populace and their...
10LatincenseoI give an opinion; I think, suppose or judge; I...
11Proto-Italickensēōto give an opinion
12Proto-Italickensējō—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱens-éh₁-ye-ti—
14Proto-Indo-Europeanḱens-to announce, to proclaim; to put in order
15Proto-Indo-Europeanḱem-to cover, conceal; hornless

Words derived from “atavistic”

  • atavistically
  • nonatavistic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱem- →