Etymograph

English

positivism

Positivism comes from French positif ‘positive’, from Latin pōnō ‘to put, place’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to build, cultivate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘to put in place’reconstructed
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘to put, place’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositīvus‘positive’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentpositif‘positive’
  8. French, derivedc. 1600–presentpositivisme
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1980positivism

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-‘to build, cultivate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō‘to put in place’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘to put in place’reconstructed
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō‘to put, place’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositīvus‘positive’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentpositif‘positive’
  8. French, derivedc. 1600–presentpositivisme
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1980positivism

Earliest quotation: 1980, David Held, Introduction to Critical Theory: “The goal of positivism is to construct an objective,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’

homeless, suppose, compound, hamlet, impose, bohemian, homely, hame, 51 more

through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’

compost, impost, presupposition, 40 more

through Latin *sinō ‘to put in place’

site, situation, posture, situate, compostela, situs, prepositional, 15 more

through Latin pōnō ‘to put, place’

post, purpose, opponent, opposite, opposition, composition, propose, expose, consolation, proposition, compose, dispose, proponent, exposition, repository, deposition, exponent, disposition, imposition, expound, supposition, preposition, pone, presuppose, suppository, compositor, apposite, 44 more

Today it means

noun A doctrine that states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method, refusing every form of metaphysics.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / positivism

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