Etymograph

English

hegemon

Hegemon comes from Ancient Greek ἡγεμών ‘a leader, guide, commander, chief’, from ἡγέομαι ‘to lead’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- ‘to seek out’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘to seek out’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἡγέομαιhēgéomai‘to lead’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡγεμώνhēgemṓn‘a leader, guide, commander, chief’
  4. Englishtodayhegemon

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘to seek out’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἡγέομαιhēgéomai‘to lead’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡγεμώνhēgemṓn‘a leader, guide, commander, chief’
  4. Englishtodayhegemon

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- ‘to seek out’

seek, sake, sucker, soc, beseech, saya, sagittal, sagacity, presage, 20 more

Today it means

noun A dominating leader or force, especially that which dominates a separate political entity; a hegemonist.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- / hegemon

Shirt and support for this word