Where does “civil” come from?
Civil comes from Middle English civil, from Old French civil, from Latin civilis, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- meaning to lie or settle.
civil (English): Having to do with people and government office as...
Definitions
- Having to do with people and government office as...
Ancestry of “civil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cyvyl | — |
| 2 | Old French | civil | — |
| 3 | Latin | cīvīlis | — |
| 4 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
Words derived from “civil”