Where does “nomadism” come from?
Nomadism derives from English nomad plus the suffix -ism, from Ancient Greek νομάς, from the verb νέμω meaning to distribute or pasture, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European nem-.
nomadism (English): The way of life of a nomad
Definitions
- The way of life of a nomad
Ancestry of “nomadism”, step by step
nomadism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nomad
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nomad | A member of a society or class who herd animals... |
| 2 | English | North | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 3 | French | Nord | north |
| 4 | Middle French | nord | north |
| 5 | Old French | nort | north |
| 6 | Old English | norþ | north |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |
via French nomadisme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | nomadisme | nomadism; mobile working |
| 2 | French | -ïsme | -ism, variant of -isme following vowels |
| 3 | Latin | -isma | Alternative form of -ismus; -ism |
| 4 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |