Where does “nihilism” come from?

Nihilism comes from French nihilisme, from Latin nihil meaning nothing, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne meaning not.

nihilism (English): The view that all endeavours are devoid of...

Definitions

  1. The view that all endeavours are devoid of...

Ancestry of “nihilism”, step by step

nihilism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French nihilisme

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchnihilismenihilism
2GermanNihilismusnihilism
3Latinnihilindefinite nothing
4Latinnihilumnothing; no value
5Latinnēno; not
6LatingēnsRoman clan (related by birth or marriage and sharing a common name and often united by certain religious rites)
7Proto-Italic*gentis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁tisbirth, production
9Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

via Russian нигили́зм

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Russianнигили́змnihilism

Words derived from “nihilism”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵénh₁tis →Every word from Proto-Italic *gentis →