Where does “aristocracy” come from?
Aristocracy comes from Middle French aristocratie, from Medieval Latin aristocratia, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ, a compound of ἄριστος meaning "best" and the root h₂er- meaning "to rise."
aristocracy (English): The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class;...
Definitions
- The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class;...
Ancestry of “aristocracy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | aristocratie | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | aristocratia | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀριστοκρατίᾱ | aristocracy; the rule of the best; the rule of... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἄριστος | best (in multivarious contexts) |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éristos | fittest, most fitting, most suitable |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |