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Origin and history of eudaemonic

eudaemonic(adj.)

also eudemonic, "producing happiness," 1856, from Greek eudaimonikos "conducive to happiness," from eudaimonia "happiness," from eu "good" (see eu-) + daimōn "guardian, genius" (see daimon). Related: Eudaimonia; eudemonia; eudaemonical.

also from 1856

Entries linking to eudaemonic

daimon(n.)

a transliteration of Greek daimōn "lesser god, guiding spirit, tutelary deity," 1852; see demon. Employed to avoid the post-classical associations of demon. Related: Daimonic.

eu-

word-forming element, in modern use meaning "good, well," from Greek eus "good," eu "well" (adv.), also "luckily, happily" (opposed to kakos), as a noun, "the right, the good cause," from PIE *(e)su- "good" (source also of Sanskrit su- "good," Avestan hu- "good"), originally a suffixed form of root *es- "to be." In compounds the Greek word had more a sense of "greatness, abundance, prosperity," and was opposed to dys-.

*da-

*dā-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to divide."

It might form all or part of: betide; daimon; Damocles; deal (v.); deal (n.1) "part, portion;" demagogue; demiurge; democracy; demography; demon; demotic; dole; endemic; epidemic; eudaemonic; geodesic; geodesy; ordeal; pandemic; pandemonium; tidal; tide (n.) "rise and fall of the sea;" tidings; tidy; time; zeitgeist.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit dati "cuts, divides;" Greek dēmos "people, land," perhaps literally "division of society," daiesthai "to divide;" Old Irish dam "troop, company;" Old English tid "point or portion of time," German Zeit "time."

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