Where does “people” come from?

people (Anglo-Norman) comes from Old French pople, from Latin populus, from Old Latin populus, from Old Latin poplus, from Old Latin poplos, from Proto-Italic poplos — army.

Ancestry of “people”, step by step

people traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French pople

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old French	pople	Alternative form of pueple
2	Latin	populus	a people, nation; a community of people; the...
3	Old Latin	populus	a people, nation; a community of people; the...
4	Old Latin	poplus	—
5	Old Latin	poplos	—
6	Proto-Italic	poplos	army

via Old French pueple

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old French	pueple	a people
2	Old French	poblo	Alternative form of pueple
3	Latin	pōpulus	a people, nation

via Old French peuple

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old French	peuple	—

Words derived from “people”

Every word from Proto-Italic poplos →Every word from Old Latin poplos →Every word from Old Latin poplus →