Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “materialist” come from?

Materialist derives from English material, which comes from Latin -ista, Ancient Greek -ιστής, Latin -alis, Latin -ia, Ancient Greek -ία, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr meaning mother.

materialist (English): Someone who is materialistic, concerned only with...

Definitions

  1. Someone who is materialistic, concerned only with...

Ancestry of “materialist”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmaterialHaving to do with matter; consisting of matter;...
2Middle EnglishmaterialExtant in matter or having physical form;...
3Late Latinmaterialismaterial
4Latinmāteria—
5Latinmāter—
6Proto-Italicmātērmother
7Proto-Indo-Europeanméh₂tērmother

Words derived from “materialist”

  • postmaterialist
  • antimaterialist
  • nonmaterialist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr →