English
nationalism
Nationalism comes from Middle French nation, from Old French nacion ‘birth’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-1‘to produce’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵénh₁tis1‘birth, production’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gnātiō1‘family’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnātiō1‘birth’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400nacion1‘birth’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600nation1
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnation1
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnational2
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnationalisme3
- Englishearliest quotation 1927nationalism3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, French national
- 2 Wiktionary, French nationalisme
- 3 Wiktionary, English nationalism
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1927, Quincy Wright, Bolshevist Influences in China: “Perhaps the explanation of the Chinese situation most generally…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-Wiktionary, French national‘to produce’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵénh₁tisWiktionary, French national‘birth, production’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gnātiōWiktionary, French national‘family’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnātiōWiktionary, French national‘birth’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400nacionWiktionary, French national‘birth’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600nationWiktionary, French national
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnationWiktionary, French national
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnationalWiktionary, French nationalisme
- Frenchc. 1600–presentnationalismeWiktionary, English nationalism
- Englishearliest quotation 1927nationalismWiktionary, English nationalism. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1927, Quincy Wright, Bolshevist Influences in China: “Perhaps the explanation of the Chinese situation most generally…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’
general, king, german, engine, nature, gender, pregnant, genuine, gene, genius, oxygen, ken, native, genre, indigenous, kindness, hydrogen, genocide, genus, kin, noel, naive, kinder, genital, nee, ingenious, germ, innate, nada, nascent, natal, puny, glycogen, nativity, janata, gingerly, genial, genitive, cognate, azadi, 102 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁tis ‘birth, production’
kind, gentle, genesis, genetics, gens, gentile, genteel, jaunty, nomen, 14 more
Today it means
noun A more extreme form of patriotism; the idea of a more extreme support for one's country, people or culture.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “nationalism”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for French national, French nationalisme. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- / nationalism