epiphenomenalism

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
4. Proto-Hellenic*epí
5. Ancient Greekἐπί (epí)
6. Ancient Greekἐπῐ- (epĭ-)
7. Englishepi-
8. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
9. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
10. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
11. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
12. Ancient Greekφαινόμενον (phainómenon)
13. Late Latinphaenomenon
14. Englishphenomenon
15. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
16. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
17. Ancient Greekφαινόμενον (phainómenon)
18. Frenchphénomène
19. Frenchphénoména
20. Englishphenomenal
21. Englishepiphenomenal
22. English todayepiphenomenalism

From epiphenomenal + -ism. Coined by English psychologist James Ward in 1899.

First known use, by meaning

• from 1899 The doctrine that consciousness, mental states and processes are simply by-products of physiological events in the brain or nervous system and cannot themselves cause anything, whether material or immaterial.