the word 'totemic' is a modern english formation, built upon the noun 'totem'. 'totem' itself entered english in the late 18th century from the ojibwe word 'odoodem', which referred to a familial or clan emblem, often an animal or natural object. the ojibwe term is believed to derive from the proto-algonquian root o·te··ma·w, meaning "his relative". the english suffix '-ic', with its origins in greek and latin adjectival forms, was appended to create an adjective meaning "pertaining to a totem". thus, the term evolved from a specific indigenous north american concept of kinship symbols to a broader anthropological and figurative adjective describing anything serving as a powerful, emblematic symbol for a group.

Structure: totem + ic - totem: from ojibwe 'odoodem', meaning "his kinship group". in this word, it functions as the core noun root. - ic: from latin '-icus', from greek '-ikos', a suffix forming adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of".