altruistic

The word 'altruistic' is a modern philosophical term coined in the 19th century by the French philosopher Auguste Comte, from the French altruisme. Comte constructed it from the Italian altrui, meaning "of or to others", which itself originates from the Latin alter, meaning "other". The suffix -isme (English -ism) formed the abstract noun for the doctrine, and the adjectival form -ique (English -ic) was added to altruiste (altruist). Thus, the literal construction "pertaining to one who is concerned with others" elegantly captures the core meaning of selfless regard for the welfare of others, standing in direct opposition to egoism.

Structure: altru (other) + ist (person) + ic (adjective suffix) - altru: From Italian altrui (of others), derived from Latin alter (other, another). Functions as the core root conveying the concept of "other people". - ist: A suffix of Greek origin via Latin, used to form nouns denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something. Here, it forms "altruist". - ic: A suffix from Latin -icus, Greek -ikos, used to form adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of". Here, it converts "altruist" into the adjective "altruistic".