Etymograph

English

stigmatize

Stigmatize comes from Ancient Greek στιγματίζω ‘to mark’, from στίγμα ‘stigma’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- ‘to be sharp’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)teyg-1‘to be sharp’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*stíd͏̌d͏̌ō1reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστῐ́ζω1stĭ́zō‘to tattoo’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστίγμα1stígma‘stigma’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστιγματίζω1stigmatízō‘to mark’
  6. Medieval Latinmodernstigmatizō1
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1819-1820stigmatize1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English stigmatize
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1819-1820, Washington Irving: “We stigmatize the Indians, also, as cowardly and treacherous,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)teyg-Wiktionary, English stigmatize‘to be sharp’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*stíd͏̌d͏̌ōWiktionary, English stigmatizereconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστῐ́ζωWiktionary, English stigmatizestĭ́zō‘to tattoo’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστίγμαWiktionary, English stigmatizestígma‘stigma’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστιγματίζωWiktionary, English stigmatizestigmatízō‘to mark’
  6. Medieval LatinmodernstigmatizōWiktionary, English stigmatize
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1819-1820stigmatizeWiktionary, English stigmatize. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1819-1820, Washington Irving: “We stigmatize the Indians, also, as cowardly and treacherous,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- ‘to be sharp’

style, attack, stock, stick, tiger, stitch, etiquette, detach, stylus, stiletto, instigate, tigress, 9 more

through Ancient Greek στίγμα ‘stigma’

astigmatism, 5 more

Today it means

verb To characterize as disgraceful or ignominious; to mark with a stigma or stigmata.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “stigmatize”. 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 *(s)teyg- / stigmatize

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