Etymology of the English word atavism
the English word
atavismderived from the French word
atavismederived from the Latin word
atavus (grandfather; great-great-great grandfather)
derived from the Classical Latin word
avus (grandfather; forefather, ancestor)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*awo-Date
The earliest known usage of atavism in English dates from the 19th century.
Derivations in English
atavisticUsage
Word found in Modern English
