Where does “citizen” come from?
Citizen comes from Middle English citezein, from Old French citezein, derived from Old French cité meaning city, from Latin civitas meaning state or community, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- meaning to lie or settle.
citizen (English): A resident of a city or town, especially one with...
Definitions
- A resident of a city or town, especially one with...
Ancestry of “citizen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | citeseyn | A freeman or burgher: a legally-recognized member... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | citesain | burgher; city-dweller |
| 3 | Old French | citeain | — |
| 4 | Old French | cité | city |
| 5 | Latin | cīvitās | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | keiwis | society; citizen |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |
Words derived from “citizen”