Etymology

epistemic

epi·stem·ic
E1P3I1S1T1E1M3I1C3

Today it means: Of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired. Full definition →

First used early 19th c.Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη ← Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*steh₂-“to stand (up)”
  2. Ancient Greek · derived fromἐπιστήμη“knowledge; science”
  3. English todayepistemic

PIE word *h₁epi From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “knowledge; science”) + English -ic (suffix meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives from nouns) (compare modern Greek επιστημικός (epistimikós, “relating to science, scientific”)). Ἐπιστήμη (Epistḗmē) is derived from ἐπῐ́στᾰμαι (epĭ́stămai, “to have knowledge of, know”) (from ἐπῐ- (epĭ-, prefix meaning ‘all over; on, on top of’) + ῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ, “to stand; to weigh”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”))) + -η (-ē, suffix forming action nouns).

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekἐπιστήμη all →

epistemologyepistemeepistemophiliaepistocracy

Proto-Indo-European*steh₂- all →

staydistancestandstadiumstemconstitutionalarreststancestowexistentialmetastasisbestowstaunchstalwartarmisticerheostatmetastasizestanchstaddlestalworthstound

First known use, by meaning

  • from early 19th c. Of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.