Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pedantism” come from?

pedantism (English) comes from English pedant, from Middle French pedant, from Italian pedante, from Ancient Greek παιδεία, from Ancient Greek παιδεύω, from Ancient Greek παῖς, from Proto-Hellenic pā́wits, from Proto-Indo-European péh₂wids — few, little; smallness.

pedantism (English): Behaving or acting in the manner of a pedant

Definitions

  1. Behaving or acting in the manner of a pedant

Ancestry of “pedantism”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpedantA teacher or schoolmaster; A person who...
2Middle Frenchpedantteacher; tutor; educator; pedant
3Italianpedantepedantic; schoolmaster; teacher
4Ancient Greekπαιδείαupbringing; training, education; youth, childhood
5Ancient GreekπαιδεύωI raise, bring up a child; I train, teach,...
6Ancient Greekπαῖςchild, son, daughter; young person, child, boy,...
7Proto-Hellenicpā́witschild
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpéh₂wids—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂w-few, little; smallness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂w- →