Where does “neuroticism” come from?
Neuroticism comes from English neurotic and the suffix -otic, from Ancient Greek νευρο- and νεῦρον meaning nerve, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European snḗh₁wr̥ and (s)neh₁-.
neuroticism (English): The quality or state of being neurotic
Definitions
- The quality or state of being neurotic
Ancestry of “neuroticism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | neurotic | Affected with a neurosis; Overly anxious; Useful... |
| 2 | English | -otic | Having disease or abnormal condition; Pertaining... |
| 3 | French | -otique | — |
| 4 | Latin | -oticus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ωτικός | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -όω | Added to a noun or adjective to make a verb with... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |