World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesatavistisch
Pronunciation / Transliteration: /ataˈvɪstɪʃ/
"Er verspürte eine atavistische Furcht in der Dunkelheit."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
Relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
"He felt an atavistic fear creep over him as he walked alone through the dark, dense forest." - 2
Of or relating to genetic atavism; exhibiting the recurrence of primitive biological traits.
"Scientists studied the atavistic physical anomaly observed in the specimen."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'atavus' meaning 'ancestor' or 'forefather', combined with the suffix '-istic' formed in the late 19th century. Initially rooted in biological theories of heredity to describe the reappearance of ancestral traits after several generations, the term evolved to metaphorically characterize primitive, instinctive human behaviors and deep-seated evolutionary urges.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Atavistic"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Atavistic" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
atavique
Transliteration: /a.ta.vik/
"Il ressentait une peur atavique face au danger."
atavistisch
Transliteration: /ataˈvɪstɪʃ/
"Er verspürte eine atavistische Furcht in der Dunkelheit."
atavico
Transliteration: /aˈta.vi.ko/
"Provò un timore atavico di fronte all'ignoto."
atávico
Transliteration: /aˈta.βi.ko/
"Sintió un miedo atávico al encontrarse solo en la selva."
atávico
Transliteration: /aˈta.vi.ku/
"Ele sentiu um medo atávico ao escutar o som na floresta."
पैतृक
Transliteration: paitrik
"उसके मन में एक पैतृक डर जाग गया।"
返祖的
Transliteration: fǎn zǔ de
"他在黑暗中感受到了一种返祖的恐惧。"
원시적인
Transliteration: wonsijin-eun
"그는 어둠 속에서 원시적인 공포를 느꼈다."
先祖返りの
Transliteration: senzogaeri no
"彼は暗闇の中で先祖返りの恐怖を覚えた。"
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