Where does “know-it-allism” come from?
know-it-allism (English) comes from English know-it-all, from English all, from Middle English all, from Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic all, from Proto-Germanic allaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.
know-it-allism (English): The attitude of a know-it-all
Definitions
- The attitude of a know-it-all
Ancestry of “know-it-allism”, step by step
know-it-allism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English know-it-all
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | know-it-all | Someone who claims to be knowledgeable or an... |
| 2 | English | all | Every individual or anything of the given class,... |
| 3 | Middle English | all | all; all, every |
| 4 | Old English | eall | all; whole, entire; everything |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | all | all |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | allaz | all |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |
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 |