Where does “citizenship” come from?
Citizenship derives from Middle English -schipe and Old English -scipe, which come from Proto-Germanic -skapiz and skapjaną, ultimately from Latin civitas meaning state or community.
citizenship (English): The status of being a citizen, in its various...
Definitions
- The status of being a citizen, in its various...
Ancestry of “citizenship”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | citizen | A resident of a city or town, especially one with... |
| 2 | Middle English | citeseyn | A freeman or burgher: a legally-recognized member... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | citesain | burgher; city-dweller |
| 4 | Old French | citeain | — |
| 5 | Old French | cité | city |
| 6 | Latin | cīvitās | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | keiwis | society; citizen |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |