Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fundamentalist” come from?

Fundamentalist derives from English fundamental, from Latin -ista, from Latin fundamentum, from Latin fundus meaning "bottom" or "foundation," with the suffix -mentum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ǵʰew- and dʰewh₂-.

fundamentalist (English): One who reduces religion to strict interpretation...

Definitions

  1. One who reduces religion to strict interpretation...

Ancestry of “fundamentalist”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfundamentalA leading or primary principle, rule, law, or...
2Latinfundāmentālis—
3Latinfundāmentum—
4Latinfundō—
5Latinfundusbottom; farm; piece of land; estate; ground
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰudʰmḗnbottom
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “fundamentalist”

  • nonfundamentalist
  • antifundamentalist
  • ultrafundamentalist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →