Where does “citadel” come from?
Citadel comes from French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of città, from Latin civitas meaning state or community, derived from civis meaning citizen, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-.
citadel (English): A strong fortress that sits high above a city; A...
Definitions
- A strong fortress that sits high above a city; A...
Ancestry of “citadel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | citadelle | citadel |
| 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 |