English
agonism
Agonism comes from Latin agōn ‘a contest’, from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́γω ‘to lead’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-‘to drive’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ágō‘to lead, to guide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́γωắgō‘to lead’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγώνagṓn‘contest’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagōn‘a contest’
- Englishearliest quotation 2007agonism
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-‘to drive’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ágō‘to lead, to guide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́γωắgō‘to lead’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγώνagṓn‘contest’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagōn‘a contest’
- Englishearliest quotation 2007agonism
Earliest quotation: 2007, Diego A. Von Vacano, The Art of Power: Machiavelli: “The internal competition between tendencies or natures that Machiavelli…”
Formed from agon + -ism
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ger- ‘to gather’
Proto-Hellenic *agéřřō ‘to collect, to gather’
Ancient Greek ἀγείρω ‘to collect, gather’
Ancient Greek ἀγών ‘contest’
Latin agōn ‘a contest’
English agon
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’
suggest, reaction, register, actively, essay, transaction, acre, gesture, radioactive, digest, inactive, congestion, belligerent, agrarian, retroactive, unambiguous, hyperactivity, progesterone, ingest, gestation, reagent, agitate, ambiguously, samaj, agger, gerund, gestion, 132 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
act, action, active, activity, actual, agency, actor, agent, agenda, activate, ambiguous, squat, ambiguity, assay, agile, agility, agitation, radium, actuator, cogent, axiomatic, actuation, inexact, exigent, actuate, 114 more
through Proto-Hellenic *ágō ‘to lead, to guide’
strategy, axiom, stratagem, glucagon, 25 more
through Ancient Greek ἀγών ‘contest’
Today it means
noun Competitive struggle (especially political).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- / agonism