Where does “ethic” come from?
Ethic comes from Old French ethique, from Latin ethica, from Ancient Greek ἠθική, derived from ἠθικός, meaning of or pertaining to character, ultimately from ἔθος meaning custom or habit.
ethic (English): Moral, relating to morals; A set of principles of...
Definitions
- Moral, relating to morals; A set of principles of...
Ancestry of “ethic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Ethik | ethics |
| 2 | Old French | ethique | — |
| 3 | Latin | ēthica | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | ethica | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἠθική | feminine nominative/vocative singular of ἠθικός |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἠθικός | of or for morals; moral; expressing character |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἦθος | character; custom, habit |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἔθος | habit, custom, manner; disposition, temper;... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | swe-dʰh₁- | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |