English

pacifist

Pacifist comes from French pacifique ‘pacific’, from Latin pācificus ‘peace making’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- ‘to join, to attach’.

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ḱ-‘to join, to attach’reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péh₂ḱ-s‘peace’reconstructed
Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pāks‘peace’reconstructed
Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāx‘peace’
Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpācificus‘peace making’
Frenchc. 1600–presentpacifique‘pacific’
French, derivedc. 1600–presentpacifiste
Englishearliest quotation 2004pacifist

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ḱ-‘to join, to attach’reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péh₂ḱ-s‘peace’reconstructed
Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pāks‘peace’reconstructed
Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāx‘peace’
Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpācificus‘peace making’
Frenchc. 1600–presentpacifique‘pacific’
French, derivedc. 1600–presentpacifiste
Englishearliest quotation 2004pacifist

Earliest quotation: 2004, Chris Wallace: “No matter what pacifist "flubdubs and flapdoodle mollycoddles" might…”

Formed from pacific + -ist

Middle French pacifique

English pacific

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- ‘to join, to attach’

fair, fang, fay, pact, gaffe, 9 more

through Latin pāx ‘peace’

peace, pace, repay, pax, pogue, 6 more

Today it means

noun One who loves, supports, or favours peace.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- / pacifist

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