Atavistic
/ˌæt.əˈvɪs.tɪk/noun
Relating to the reappearance of an ancestral trait or behavior in a later generation.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin atavus, meaning a remote ancestor—specifically a great-great-great-grandfather or similarly distant forebear.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ewh₂-
“An ancient Indo-European root associated with ancestors or elders, reconstructed with some uncertainty.”
Classical Latin
Latin
avus
“Grandfather or male ancestor.”
Classical Latin
Latin
atavus
“A remote ancestor, traditionally a great-great-great-grandfather.”
19th Century
Latin/English
atavism
“The reappearance of an ancestral characteristic; coined in scientific writing from Latin atavus.”
19th Century
English
atavistic
“Relating to atavism or the return of an ancestral trait.”
Modern English
English
atavistic
“Describing a reversion to ancestral characteristics, behavior, or forms.”
Explore more surprising origins