English
autism
Autism comes from Ancient Greek αὐτός ‘self’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew ‘again, away from’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew‘again, away from’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαὐτόςautós‘self’
- Germanc. 1650–presentAutismus
- Englishearliest quotation 2013autism
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew‘again, away from’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαὐτόςautós‘self’
- Germanc. 1650–presentAutismus
- Englishearliest quotation 2013autism
Earliest quotation: 2013, A punch in the gut: “Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion…”
The story
Borrowed from German Autismus, coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, first usage dated to 1907 attributed by Carl Jung as an alternative of his for "auto-erotism", although Bleuler himself differentiates the terms in his book Dementia Praecox, first published 1911.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew ‘again, away from’
Today it means
noun Autism spectrum disorder, a condition characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction, as well as a need or strong preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, or repetitive behaviours. This includes classic autism as well as other, previously distinct disorders such as Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew / autism