Where does “individualist” come from?
Individualist comes from English individual plus the suffix -ista from Latin, tracing back through Latin individuum, individuus, in, and dis- to Proto-Indo-European ne.
individualist (English): Someone who believes in individualism as a...
Definitions
- Someone who believes in individualism as a...
Ancestry of “individualist”, step by step
individualist traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French individualiste
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | individualiste | individualist |
| 2 | French | individuel | individual |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | individualis | — |
| 4 | Latin | indīviduum | atom |
| 5 | Latin | indīviduus | not divided, indivisible |
| 6 | Latin | dīviduus | divisible |
| 7 | Latin | dīvidō | to divide, separate |
| 8 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 9 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 10 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via English individual
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | individual | A person considered alone, rather than as... |
via Dutch individueel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | individueel | individually |