Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mediocracy” come from?

mediocracy (English) comes from English mediocre, from Middle English medioker, from French médiocre, from Middle French médiocre, from Latin mediocris, from Latin medius, from Latin locus, from Old Latin stlocus — to put, to place; to locate.

mediocracy (English): A social hierarchy in which the mediocre prevails

Definitions

  1. A social hierarchy in which the mediocre prevails

Ancestry of “mediocracy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmediocreHaving no peculiar or outstanding features; not...
2Middle Englishmedioker—
3Frenchmédiocremediocre
4Middle Frenchmédiocre—
5Latinmediocrismiddling, moderate, medium; tolerable, ordinary,...
6Latinmediusmiddle; half; moderate
7Latinlocusplace, spot; a passage of literature; "in the...
8Old Latinstlocus—
9Proto-Italicstlokos—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanstel-to put, to place; to locate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European stel- →