Savagisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions or actions exhibiting cruelty, barbarity, or a lack of civilization; behaviors characterized by fierce, untamed, or primitive qualities; instances of harsh or brutal conduct
2. Acts or utterances showing wildness, ferocity, or uncultured tendencies; manifestations of uncivilized and rough treatment or language; examples of ruthless and fierce demeanor
3. Demonstrations of harshness, barbaric nature, or unrefined behavior; displays of primitive and savage traits in speech or action; occurrences involving aggressive, cruel, or feral conduct

Etymology: "Savagisms" is the plural of "savagism", a noun formed by adding the suffix "-ism" to "savage". The base word "savage" comes from Old French "salvage" (later "sauvage"), meaning wild or untamed, traced back to Latin "silvaticus", "of the woods", from "silva", forest. So the core idea is something belonging to the wild, unfarmed country beyond settled land. The suffix "-ism" marks a practice, doctrine, or characteristic, so "savagism" names the behaviour or state of being savage, and the plural "savagisms" refers to individual brutal or uncivilised acts. The formation is plain and transparent: a familiar adjective with a standard noun-forming ending, with no notable story of a coiner or a dramatic shift in meaning.

Synonyms: barbarisms, uncivilized acts, brutalities, cruelties, ferocities

Antonyms: civilizations, cultures, refinements