Where does “ostracism” come from?
Ostracism comes from Ancient Greek ὀστρακισμός, formed from the Ancient Greek suffix -ισμός, which derives from Ancient Greek -μός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -mós.
ostracism (English): In ancient Athens (and some other cities), the temporary banishment by popular vote of a citizen considered dangerous to the state
Definitions
- In ancient Athens (and some other cities), the temporary banishment by popular vote of a citizen considered dangerous to the state
Ancestry of “ostracism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | ostracisme | ostracism |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὀστρακισμός | banishment by means of voting with pot shards |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ὀστρακίζω | I ostracize, banish by voting with pot shards; to... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ὄστρακον | earthen vessel; the hard shell of animals such as... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | δέρμα | skin, hide |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | γλυφή | carving, carved work; hole cut |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |