Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pugilistic” come from?

Pugilistic comes from English pugilist plus the French suffix -ique, derived from Latin -icus and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -kos, an adjectival formative.

pugilistic (English): in the manner of a pugilist; fighting with the...

Definitions

  1. in the manner of a pugilist; fighting with the...

Ancestry of “pugilistic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchpugilistiqueof or relating to pugilism or boxing
2Frenchpugilistepugilist; boxer
3EnglishpugilistOne who fights with his fists; especially a...
4Latinpugila boxer, pugilist; a hardened forehead
5Latin-ilis-ile
6Proto-Italic-elis—
7Proto-Indo-European-elis—
8Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “pugilistic”

  • pugilistically
  • pugilistics
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →