Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sexism” come from?

Sexism derives from English sex, which comes from Latin sexus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sek-, meaning to cut or divide, and related to Latin sequi meaning to follow.

sexism (English): The belief that people of one sex or gender are...

Definitions

  1. The belief that people of one sex or gender are...

Ancestry of “sexism”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsexA category into which sexually-reproducing...
2EnglishsectAn offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing...
3Middle EnglishsecteA variety or sort; a category with a...
4Old Frenchsectea sect in philosophy or religion
5Late Latinsectaa sect in philosophy or religion, a school,...
6Latinsequipresent active infinitive of sequor; follow, come...
7LatinsequorI follow, come or go after
8Proto-Italicsekʷōrfollow, come/go after
9Proto-Indo-Europeansékʷetorto be following
10Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “sexism”

  • antisexism
  • nonsexism
  • monosexism
  • retrosexism
  • cybersexism
  • crypto-sexism
  • cissexism
  • neurosexism
  • սեքսիզմ
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →