Etymograph

English

monotheism

Monotheism comes from Ancient Greek θεός ‘a deity’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to do’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰéh₁s‘god, godhead, deity’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁sósreconstructed
  4. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tʰehós‘god, deity’reconstructed
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθεόςtheós‘a deity’
  6. English1500–presenttheism
  7. Englishtodaymonotheism

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to do’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰéh₁s‘god, godhead, deity’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁sósreconstructed
  4. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tʰehós‘god, deity’reconstructed
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθεόςtheós‘a deity’
  6. English1500–presenttheism
  7. Englishtodaymonotheism

Formed from mono- + theism

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Hellenic *mónwos

Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone, only, sole, single’

English mono-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’

Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s ‘god, godhead, deity’

Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁sós

Proto-Hellenic *tʰehós ‘god, deity’

Ancient Greek θεός ‘god’

English theism

The story

A learned 17th-century coinage, mono- + theism, from (μονός (monós, “one”)) and (θεός (theós, “god, deity”) + -ισμός (-ismós)) The term parallels the earlier polytheism, atheism (the simplex theism being slightly later). The term was coined by Henry More, ca. 1660, in explicit juxtaposition with both atheism and polytheism. It was redefined through etymological fallacy by Daniel Webster ca. 1828.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’

do, fact, deal, hot, defense, fan, benefit, feature, mid, fashion, defence, custom, sufficient, theme, treasury, treasure, ethnic, defendant, ethical, doom, tick, deed, aesthetic, synthetic, thesis, auditorium, auditor, demi, ethic, deem, spade, familial, medial, forfeit, ethos, prefect, certify, thematic, duma, medallion, 114 more

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s ‘god, godhead, deity’

fair, feast, dis, feral, fanatic, profanity, profane, fane, fayre, 22 more

through Ancient Greek θεός ‘a deity’

theology, atheist, atheism, apotheosis, polytheism, theist, pantheism, 15 more

Today it means

noun Belief in the One True God, defined by More as personal, immaterial and trinitarian.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- / monotheism

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