Where does “xenophobia” come from?
Xenophobia comes from Ancient Greek ξένος and φόβος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰegʰ- meaning to flee or be afraid.
xenophobia (English): A fear of strangers or foreigners; A fear of...
Definitions
- A fear of strangers or foreigners; A fear of...
Ancestry of “xenophobia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | xeno- | Having to do with foreigners; Relating to... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ξένος | foreign; strange, unusual; of parties giving or... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἐλαύνω | drive, set in motion; ride a horse, drive a... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -τός | creates verbal adjectives of possibility, either... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |