Where does “nihilist” come from?
Nihilist derives from English -ist, Latin -ista, Latin hilum meaning "small thing," Ancient Greek -ίζω, and Proto-Indo-European roots ne and -idyéti and -yéti.
nihilist (English): A person who accepts or champions nihilism; An...
Definitions
- A person who accepts or champions nihilism; An...
Ancestry of “nihilist”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | nihil | indefinite nothing |
| 2 | Latin | nihilum | nothing; no value |
| 3 | Latin | nē | no; not |
| 4 | Latin | gēns | Roman clan (related by birth or marriage and sharing a common name and often united by certain religious rites) |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *gentis | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁tis | birth, production |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |