'environmentalist' originates from the word 'environment,' which comes from the French word 'environner,' meaning 'to surround.'

'environment' evolved from the Old French word 'environ,' which meant 'around' or 'surroundings,' and eventually became the modern English word 'environment.'

Initially, it meant 'surroundings,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a person concerned with the environment.'