Where does “hypnotism” come from?
Hypnotism derives from English hypnotise combined with the suffix -ism, from Ancient Greek -ισμός, itself from Ancient Greek -μός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -mós.
hypnotism (English): The art of inducing hypnosis
Definitions
- The art of inducing hypnosis
Ancestry of “hypnotism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hypnotise | To induce a state of hypnosis in |
| 2 | English | hypnotic | Of, or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism;... |
| 3 | French | hypnotique | hypnotic; sleeping pill |
| 4 | Latin | hypnōticus | of or pertaining to sleep |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ὑπνωτικός | inclined to sleep, sleepy; inducing sleep,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὑπνῶ | I put to sleep |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ὕπνος | Hypnos, the Greek mythological god of sleep |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | húpnos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | supnós | sleep; death |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | swóp-r̥ ~ swép-n̥s | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | swep- | to sleep |