Where does “despotry” come from?
despotry (English) comes from English despot, from Middle French despote, from Old French despote, from Medieval Latin despota, from Ancient Greek δεσπότης, from Proto-Hellenic *déspotis.
despotry (English): despotism
Definitions
- despotism
Ancestry of “despotry”, step by step
despotry traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English despot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | despot | A ruler with absolute power; a tyrant; A title... |
| 2 | Middle French | despote | — |
| 3 | Old French | despote | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | despota | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | δεσπότης | master, lord; ruler, despot; generally: owner |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *déspotis | — |
via English ry
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ry | A test pattern consisting of a repeating character string alternating letters R and Y, used to test five-level teleprinter and radioteletype (RTTY) systems |