Where does “unilingualist” come from?
unilingualist (English) comes from English unilingual, from English lingual, from Latin linguālis, from Latin lingua, from Latin -ula, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
Ancestry of “unilingualist”, step by step
unilingualist traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English unilingual
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | unilingual | knowing or using a single language; a person who... |
| 2 | English | lingual | related to the tongue; related to language or... |
| 3 | Latin | linguālis | lingual |
| 4 | Latin | lingua | tongue; a speech; an utterance or expression |
| 5 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via English ist
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ist | A practitioner or supporter of an ism |
| 2 | English | -ist | Added to words to form nouns denoting |
| 3 | Old French | -iste | — |
| 4 | Latin | -ista | -ist; one who practises or believes |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ιστής | Alternative form of -τής; -ist |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τής | Appended to verbs to form agent nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tās | — |