Where does “bureaucratic” come from?
Bureaucratic derives from English bureaucracy, which combines English bureau from Ancient Greek -κρατία meaning rule with Latin burra, itself from Latin burrus, ultimately from Ancient Greek πυρρός and Ancient Greek βοῦς meaning ox.
bureaucratic (English): Of or pertaining to bureaucracy or the actions of...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to bureaucracy or the actions of...
Ancestry of “bureaucratic”, step by step
bureaucratic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bureaucrat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bureaucrat | An official who is part of a bureaucracy; A wiki... |
| 2 | French | bureaucrate | bureaucrat |
| 3 | French | bureaucratie | bureaucracy |
| 4 | French | bureau | desk; office; ticket office |
| 5 | Middle French | burel | — |
| 6 | Old French | burel | frieze; a garment made out of frieze |
| 7 | Old French | -el | Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun |
| 8 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 9 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
via French bureaucratique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | bureaucratique | bureaucratic |