Where does “autonomy” come from?
Autonomy derives from Ancient Greek αὐτονομία, composed of αὐτός meaning "self" and νόμος meaning "law" or "custom."
autonomy (English): Self-government; freedom to act or function...
Definitions
- Self-government; freedom to act or function...
Ancestry of “autonomy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ | autonomy, independence, freedom to use its own laws |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | αὐτόνομος | subject only to one's own laws, independent; of... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | νόμος | usage, custom; law, ordinance; melody, strain |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | νέμω | to deal out, distribute, dispense; to pasture or... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | némos | sacrifice, worship; place of sacrifice, clearing |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | nem- | to distribute; to give, to take |