English
monism
Monism comes from Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone’, and goes back to Proto-Hellenic *mónwos.
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘alone’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900monismus
- Englishearliest quotation 1964monism
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘alone’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900monismus
- Englishearliest quotation 1964monism
Earliest quotation: 1964, Karl F. Morrison, Two Kingdoms: Ecclesiology in Carolingian Political Thought: “The same conflict between the monism of temporal theorists…”
Equivalent to mon- + -ism
first attested The word was coined by German philosopher Baron Christian von Wolff and first used in English in 1862, from New Latin monismus, from Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos, “alone”) (as stated in the etymology)
The story
The word was coined by German philosopher Baron Christian von Wolff and first used in English in 1862, from New Latin monismus, from Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos, “alone”).
Linked words
through Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone’
monk, monastery, munch, minster, monochromatic, monolith, monad, 14 more
Today it means
noun The doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality, despite the appearance of diversity in the world.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *mónwos / monism