Where does “civitas” come from?
Civitas comes from Latin civitas, derived from Latin civis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-, a root meaning to lie down or settle.
civitas (English): The social body of the citizens united by law; A...
Definitions
- The social body of the citizens united by law; A...
Ancestry of “civitas”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | cīvitās | — |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | keiwis | society; citizen |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |