Where does “totemism” come from?
Totemism comes from totem plus the suffix -ism, from Ancient Greek -ισμός, from Ancient Greek -μός, from Proto-Indo-European -mós.
totemism (English): The belief that a person or group has a special...
Definitions
- The belief that a person or group has a special...
Ancestry of “totemism”, step by step
totemism traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |
via English totem
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | totem | Any natural object or living creature that serves... |
| 2 | Ojibwe | doodem | totem; clan |
via French totémisme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | totémisme | totemism |