ethos

Where does the word "ethos" come from? It comes from Greek ethos, and was adopted directly into English (1851).

Ethos’s story begins in Greek: ethos meant “character, custom.” Character, custom, the moral character of a person or community. It reached English by 1851 as ethos. Aristotle's 'Rhetoric' named ethos, the speaker's character, as one of the three means of persuasion. Today, ethos means the characteristic spirit, values, or beliefs of a person, group, or culture.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient ethos "character, custom", character, custom, the moral character of a person or community.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1851 ethos "the characteristic spirit or values of a group", Aristotle's 'Rhetoric' named ethos, the speaker's character, as one of the three means of persuasion.