Where does “multilateralism” come from?

Multilateralism derives from English multilateral, from Latin lateralis meaning "of the side," from Latin latus meaning "side," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots related to breadth and extension.

multilateralism (English): Unbiased trade between nations, in contrast to...

Definitions

  1. Unbiased trade between nations, in contrast to...

Ancestry of “multilateralism”, step by step

multilateralism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English multilateral

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmultilateralHaving many sides or points of view; Involving...
2Englishmulti-More than one; pertaining to more than one thing;...
3EnglishmultiA multituberculate; Neolamprologus multifasciatus
4EnglishmultituberculateHaving molars with multiple rows of cusps; Any of...
5EnglishtuberculateHaving tubercles; Tubercular
6Latintuberculatuswarty, tuberculate
7Latintūberculuma small swelling, bump, or protuberance; a boil, pimple, tubercle
8Latintūbera hump, bump, swelling, protuberance; excrescence
9Proto-Italictūβos
10Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong

via French multilatéralisme

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmultilatéralismemultilateralism
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂-