Where does “existentialist” come from?
Existentialist derives from French existentialiste, formed with the French suffix -iste from Latin -ista, from Ancient Greek -ιστής derived from the verb -ίζω, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -idyéti meaning to do or perform.
existentialist (English): A person who adheres to the philosophy of...
Definitions
- A person who adheres to the philosophy of...
Ancestry of “existentialist”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | existentialiste | existentialist |
| 2 | French | -iste | -ist; -istic |
| 3 | Latin | -ista | -ist; one who practises or believes |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ιστής | Alternative form of -τής; -ist |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τής | Appended to verbs to form agent nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | -tās | — |