Where does “atomistic” come from?
Atomistic comes from English atom combined with the English suffix -ic, derived from Latin atomus, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος meaning "indivisible," formed from the prefix ἀ- "not" and the root meaning "to cut."
atomistic (English): Of or pertaining to atoms or to atomism; Divided...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to atoms or to atomism; Divided...
Ancestry of “atomistic”, step by step
atomistic 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 German atomistisch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | atomistisch | atomistic |
| 2 | German | -istisch | -istic |
| 3 | German | -isch | an adjectival suffix, often matching -ic and... |
| 4 | Middle High German | -isch | — |
| 5 | Old High German | -isc | used to form adjectives |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |