nihilism

Where does the word "nihilism" come from? It comes from Latin nihil, passing through German before entering English (1810s).

Nihilism’s story begins in Latin: nihil meant “nothing.” The root of 'annihilate' and 'nil'. By 1817, the word had taken hold in German as Nihilismus. Coined by German philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi for the doctrine of negation. It reached English by 1810s as nihilism. Turgenev's 'Fathers and Sons' (1862) popularized 'nihilist' through the character Bazarov. Today, nihilism means the philosophical belief that life is without objective meaning or value.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient nihil "nothing", the root of 'annihilate' and 'nil'.
2. Stage 2 · German · 1817 Nihilismus "the doctrine of negation", coined by German philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi for the doctrine of negation.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1810s nihilism "the rejection of all religious and moral principles", Turgenev's 'Fathers and Sons' (1862) popularized 'nihilist' through the character Bazarov.