Etymology

behaviorism

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Today it means: An approach focusing on observable behavior which, generally assuming that behavior is determined by the environment and denying any independent significance for mind, largely ignores any pathophysiological processes which may, or may not, underlie subjective, behavioral phenomena. Full definition →

English behavior ← Middle English behavoure ← Old French avoir
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₁pi
  5. Proto-Germanic*bi
  6. Proto-Germanic*bi-
  7. Proto-West Germanic*bi-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  9. Proto-Germanic*habjaną
  10. Proto-West Germanic*habbjan
  11. Proto-West Germanic*bihabbjan
  12. Old Englishbehabban
  13. Middle Englishbehaven
  14. Proto-Indo-European*gʰeh₁bʰ-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti
  16. Proto-Italic*haβēō
  17. Latinhabeō
  18. Old Frenchavoir
  19. Middle Englishhavour
  20. Middle Englishbehavoure
  21. Englishbehavior
  22. English todaybehaviorism

From behavior + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.