Where does “ニヒリズム” come from?
ニヒリズム (Japanese) comes from English nihilism, from French nihilisme, from German Nihilismus, from Latin nihil, from Latin nihilum, from Latin nē, from Latin gēns, from Proto-Italic *gentis — to produce, to beget, to give birth.
ニヒリズム (Japanese): nihilism
Ancestry of “ニヒリズム”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | nihilism | The view that all endeavours are devoid of... |
| 2 | French | nihilisme | nihilism |
| 3 | German | Nihilismus | nihilism |
| 4 | Latin | nihil | indefinite nothing |
| 5 | Latin | nihilum | nothing; no value |
| 6 | Latin | nē | — |
| 7 | Latin | gēns | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *gentis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁tis | birth, production |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |