word-forming element meaning "a being, individual; being, existence," from stem of Greek on (genitive ontos) "being," neuter present participle of einai "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be").
Entries linking to onto-
*es-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be."
It forms all or part of: absence; absent; am; Bodhisattva; entity; essence; essential; essive; eu-; eucalyptus; Eucharist; Euclidean; Eudora; Eugene; eugenics; eulogy; Eunice; euphemism; euphoria; euthanasia; homoiousian; improve; interest; is; onto-; Parousia; present (adj.) "existing at the time;" present (n.2) "what is offered or given as a gift;" proud; quintessence; represent; satyagraha; sin; sooth; soothe; suttee; swastika; yes.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit asmi, Hittite eimi, Greek esti-, Latin est, Old Church Slavonic jesmi, Lithuanian esmi, Gothic imi, Old English eom, German ist.
ontic adj.
a word in philosophy, variously defined but in general "pertaining to the existence of structure in an entity," 1949, from onto- + -ic.