Where does “untouchability” come from?
Untouchability derives from English untouchable plus the suffix -ity, tracing back through Latin touchabilis and -itas to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "not" and "one."
untouchability (English): The state or condition of being untouchable
Definitions
- The state or condition of being untouchable
Ancestry of “untouchability”, step by step
untouchability traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English untouchable
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | untouchable | Not able to be touched; Not able to be defeated... |
| 2 | English | touchable | Capable of being touched; tangible or palpable |
| 3 | English | touch | Primarily physical senses; Primarily non-physical... |
| 4 | Middle English | touchen | to touch |
| 5 | Old French | tochier | to touch |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | tucco | to knock, strike, offend; to strike; to touch; I... |
| 7 | Frankish | tukkōn | to knock, strike, touch; to touch, hit; to touch |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | tukkōną | to tug, pull; to grab, snatch; to grasp, touch |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |