Where does “unethical” come from?
Unethical derives from English ethical, from English ethic, from Ancient Greek ἦθος meaning character or custom, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- meaning to be or exist.
unethical (English): Not morally approvable; morally bad; not ethical
Definitions
- Not morally approvable; morally bad; not ethical
Ancestry of “unethical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ethical | Of or relating to the study of ethics; Of or... |
| 2 | English | ethic | Moral, relating to morals; A set of principles of... |
| 3 | German | Ethik | ethics |
| 4 | Old French | ethique | — |
| 5 | Latin | ēthica | — |
| 6 | Late Latin | ethica | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἠθική | feminine nominative/vocative singular of ἠθικός |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἠθικός | of or for morals; moral; expressing character |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ἦθος | character; custom, habit |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | ἔθος | habit, custom, manner; disposition, temper;... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | swe-dʰh₁- | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |