Etymology

multiculturalism

Today it means: The characteristics of an organization, society, city etc. which has many different ethnic or national cultures mingling freely; political or social policies which support or encourage such coexistence. Full definition →

First used 20th c.English multicultural ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Middle French culture
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ml̥tós?
  3. Proto-Italic*moltos
  4. Latinmultus
  5. Latinmultī
  6. Middle Englishmulti-
  7. Englishmulti-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*kʷélh₁eti
  10. Proto-Italic*kʷelō
  11. Latincolō
  12. Latincultūra
  13. Middle Frenchculture
  14. Englishculture
  15. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  16. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  17. Englishmulticultural
  18. English todaymulticulturalism

From multicultural + -ism.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 20th c. The characteristics of an organization, society, city etc. which has many different ethnic or national cultures mingling freely; political or social policies which support or encourage such coexistence.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.