Where does “genericism” come from?
genericism (English) comes from English ism, from English -ism, from Latin -ismus, from Ancient Greek -ισμός, from Ancient Greek -μός, from Proto-Indo-European -mós — Creates action/result nouns from verb stems.
genericism (English): the state of being generic
Definitions
- the state of being generic
Ancestry of “genericism”, step by step
genericism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |
via English generic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | generic | very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to... |
| 2 | Middle French | générique | — |
| 3 | Latin | genus | birth, origin, lineage, descent; kind, type,... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | genos | lineage, origin |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁os | race, lineage |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |