Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. A fear of strangers or foreigners; A fear of...

Ancestry of “xenophobia”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishxeno-Having to do with foreigners; Relating to...
2Ancient Greekξένοςforeign; strange, unusual; of parties giving or...
3Ancient Greekἐλαύνωdrive, set in motion; ride a horse, drive a...
4Ancient Greek-τόςcreates verbal adjectives of possibility, either...
5Proto-Indo-European-tósCreates verbal adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “xenophobia”

  • antixenophobia
  • seineafóibe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tós →