Where does “sexist” come from?
Sexist derives from English sex, from English sect, from Ancient Greek -ιστής, from Latin sexus meaning division or category, from Proto-Indo-European sek- meaning to cut or divide.
sexist (English): A person who discriminates on grounds of sex;...
Definitions
- A person who discriminates on grounds of sex;...
Ancestry of “sexist”, step by step
sexist traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sex
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sex | A category into which sexually-reproducing... |
| 2 | English | sect | An offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing... |
| 3 | Middle English | secte | A variety or sort; a category with a... |
| 4 | Old French | secte | a sect in philosophy or religion |
| 5 | Late Latin | secta | a sect in philosophy or religion, a school,... |
| 6 | Latin | sequi | present active infinitive of sequor; follow, come... |
| 7 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |