-istic

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 566 words | Copyright

-istic repr. F. -istique, L. -isticus — Gr. -istikós, comp. suffix f. -istḗs -IST + -ikós -IC, as in sophistikós SOPHISTIC(AL); but used also where there is a corr. vb. in -izein -IZE, and sb. in -ismós -ISM but not a sb. in -istḗs -IST, as in kharaktēristikós CHARACTERISTIC. The use of this suffix was much extended in medL. and mod. langs. An alternative secondary form is -istical, whence the gen. adv. -istically; there is also a parallel -isticate for related vbs.; e.g. sophistic, -ical, -ically, -icate(d).

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T. F. HOAD. "-istic." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "-istic." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-istic.html

T. F. HOAD. "-istic." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-istic.html

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