Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “counterfactual” come from?

Counterfactual derives from English factual, which comes from English fact, ultimately from Latin facio meaning "to do" or "to make," traced to Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- with the same sense.

counterfactual (English): Contrary to the facts; untrue; Of or in...

Definitions

  1. Contrary to the facts; untrue; Of or in...

Ancestry of “counterfactual”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfactualPertaining to or consisting of objective claims;...
2EnglishfactSomething actual as opposed to invented;...
3EnglishfactnessThe quality of being based on facts; The quality...
4English-nessAppended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the...
5Middle English-nesseAffixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns...
6Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
7Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
8Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
9Proto-West Germanic-ī-ness, -th
10Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
11Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
12Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

Words derived from “counterfactual”

  • counterfactually
  • counterfactuality
  • counterfactualize
  • counterfactualness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →