Where does “autocratic” come from?
Autocratic comes from French autocrate, from Latin -icus, from Ancient Greek αὐτο- and αὐτός meaning self, forming a compound denoting self-rule or absolute power.
autocratic (English): Of or pertaining to autocracy or to an autocrat;...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to autocracy or to an autocrat;...
Ancestry of “autocratic”, step by step
autocratic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French autocratique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | autocratique | autocratic; authoritarian |
| 2 | French | autocrate | autocrat |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | αὐτοκρατής | one who governs alone; sovereign |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | αὐτο- | self- |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | αὐτός | αὐτή f, αὐτό n; "first/second declension";... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew | away from, off; again |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact |
via Catalan autocràcia
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalan | autocràcia | autocracy |