Where does “initialist” come from?

initialist (English) comes from English initial, from Middle French initial, from Latin initiālis, from Latin initium, from Latin inire, from Latin īre, from Proto-Italic eō, from Proto-Italic ejō — to go.

initialist (English): A writer who identifies themselves by the initial letters of their name

Definitions

  1. A writer who identifies themselves by the initial letters of their name

Ancestry of “initialist”, step by step

initialist traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English initial

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishinitialChronologically first, early; of or pertaining to...
2Middle Frenchinitial
3Latininitiālisinitial, first, incipient
4Latininitiumbeginning, start; rites, mysteries
5Latininirepresent active infinitive of ineō; to go in,...
6Latinīre
7Proto-ItalicI go
8Proto-Italicejō
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁éytito go, to be going
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ey-to go

via English ist

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishistA practitioner or supporter of an ism
2English-istAdded to words to form nouns denoting
3Old French-iste
4Latin-ista-ist; one who practises or believes
5Ancient Greek-ιστήςAlternative form of -τής; -ist
6Ancient Greek-τήςAppended to verbs to form agent nouns
7Proto-Hellenic-tās
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ey-
initialist — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer