Where does “negativism” come from?
Negativism comes from English negative, derived from Ancient Greek -ισμός and -μός suffixes, Latin negativus and -ivus, Latin nego meaning "to deny," and Proto-Indo-European ne meaning "not."
negativism (English): A persistent pessimistic or skeptical attitude; A...
Definitions
- A persistent pessimistic or skeptical attitude; A...
Ancestry of “negativism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | negative | Not positive nor neutral; Of electrical charge of... |
| 2 | Middle English | negative | — |
| 3 | Old French | negatif | — |
| 4 | Latin | negativus | denied, negative, that which denies; inhibiting |
| 5 | Latin | negō | to deny |
| 6 | Latin | nec | nor; and not, not; neither |
| 7 | Latin | neque | not; and not, also not |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | nekʷe | and not, neither, nor |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ne | not |