Where does “democracy” come from?
Democracy comes from Middle French democratie, from Latin democratia, from Ancient Greek κράτος meaning "power" or "strength."
democracy (English): Rule by the people, especially as a form of...
Definitions
- Rule by the people, especially as a form of...
Ancestry of “democracy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | democratie | democracy; popular rule |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | democratia | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | δημοκρατία | democracy, popular government; a democratic... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | δημο- | demo |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | δῆμος | district, country, land; the common people; free... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | γράφω | to scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | grəpʰō | to scratch, cut or carve into |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gerbʰ- | to carve |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |