Where does “pugilism” come from?
pugilism (English) comes from Latin pugil, from Latin -ilis, from Proto-Italic -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
pugilism (English): Fighting with fists
Ancestry of “pugilism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | pugil | a boxer, pugilist; a hardened forehead |
| 2 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |