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Where does the word "ethnic" come from? It comes from Greek ethnikos, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
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Where does the word "ethnic" come from? It comes from Greek ethnikos, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
Ethnic’s story begins in Greek: ethnikos meant “national, heathen.” Greek, from 'ethnos', nation. It reached English by 1400s as ethnic. The modern sense 'of a people' dates from the 1800s. Today, ethnic means relating to a group with a shared culture.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient ethnikos "national, heathen", Greek, from 'ethnos', nation.
- Stage 2 · English · 1400s ethnic "heathen", the modern sense 'of a people' dates from the 1800s.