Where does “citadel” come from?
citadel (Dutch) comes from Middle French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, from Italian cittade, from Latin civitatem, from Latin civitas, from Latin civis, from Proto-Italic keiwis, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
citadel (Dutch): citadel
Ancestry of “citadel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | citadelle | — |
| 2 | Italian | cittadella | citadel; stronghold |
| 3 | Italian | cittade | Obsolete form of città |
| 4 | Latin | civitatem | accusative singular of cīvitās |
| 5 | Latin | civitas | citizenship and its rights; often referring to... |
| 6 | Latin | civis | citizen; a subject |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | keiwis | society; citizen |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |