Where does “Acropolis” come from?
Acropolis derives from Ancient Greek Ἀκρόπολις, composed of ἄκρος from Proto-Indo-European h₂ḱrós, itself from the root h₂eḱ-, which traces to Proto-Indo-European tpelH-.
Ancestry of “Acropolis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | Ἀκρόπολις | Acropolis |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πόλις | city; a whole country, as dependent on and called... |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | ptólis | city |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tpólHis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tpelH- | fortification, city |