Where does “atomism” come from?
Atomism derives from English atom, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος meaning indivisible, from the prefix ἀ- (not) and a root related to Proto-Indo-European sem- (to cut).
atomism (English): The ancient Greek theory that all matter is...
Definitions
- The ancient Greek theory that all matter is...
Ancestry of “atomism”, step by step
atomism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English atom
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | atom | The smallest possible amount of matter which... |
| 2 | Middle English | attome | atom |
| 3 | Middle French | athome | atom |
| 4 | Latin | atomus | indivisible; an atom, particle incapable of being... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἄτομος | uncut; indivisible, not capable of being... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
via French atomisme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | atomisme | atomism |
| 2 | French | -ïsme | -ism, variant of -isme following vowels |
| 3 | Latin | -isma | Alternative form of -ismus; -ism |
| 4 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |