Where does “ethnic” come from?
Ethnic comes from French ethnique, from Latin ethnicus, from Ancient Greek ἐθνικός, derived from ἔθνος meaning "nation" or "people," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European swedh-no-.
ethnic (English): Of or relating to a group of people having common...
Definitions
- Of or relating to a group of people having common...
Ancestry of “ethnic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | ethnique | ethnic |
| 2 | Middle French | ethnique | — |
| 3 | Old French | ethnique | — |
| 4 | Latin | ethnicus | heathen; pagan |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἐθνικός | national |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἔθνος | group of people: tribe, family; group of animals:... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἔθω | I am accustomed, I tend to |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | swe-dʰh₁- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |