Where does “behaviorist” come from?
Behaviorist comes from English behavior plus the suffix -ista from Latin, which derives from Ancient Greek -ιστής, itself from the Ancient Greek verb -ίζω meaning to practice or engage in, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European roots.
behaviorist (English): One who studies behavior of humans or animals
Definitions
- One who studies behavior of humans or animals
Ancestry of “behaviorist”, step by step
behaviorist traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English behaviourist
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | behaviourist | Britain standard spelling of behaviorist |
| 2 | English | behaviour | The way a living creature behaves or acts; The... |
| 3 | English | -iour | Suffix added to verbs to form nouns; Alternative... |
| 4 | English | -our | — |
| 5 | Middle English | -our | — |
| 6 | Old French | -eor | Alternative form of -or |
| 7 | Latin | -ator | -ator, -er; second-person singular future passive... |
| 8 | Latin | -tor | -er |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | -tōr | Forms agent nouns to verb stems |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tōr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -tor-s | — |