Where does “deism” come from?
Deism derives from French déisme, combining Latin divinus (divine, from deywós sky-god in Proto-Indo-European) with the English suffix -ism denoting a doctrine or belief system.
deism (English): A philosophical belief in the existence of a god ...
Definitions
- A philosophical belief in the existence of a god ...
Ancestry of “deism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | déisme | deism |
| 2 | Latin | Deus | God |
| 3 | Latin | dẹ̄vos | — |
| 4 | Old Latin | deivos | god, deity |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | deiwos | god, deity |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deywós | god |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dyew- | to be bright; sky, heaven |