Where does “meritocracy” come from?
Meritocracy derives from English merit combined with Ancient Greek -κρατία (rule), tracing merit through Latin meritus and mereri (to earn or deserve) back to Proto-Indo-European (s)mer-.
meritocracy (English): Rule by merit, and talent; A type of society...
Definitions
- Rule by merit, and talent; A type of society...
Ancestry of “meritocracy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | merit | A claim to commendation or a reward; A mark or... |
| 2 | Middle English | merit | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | merit | — |
| 4 | Old French | merite | merit |
| 5 | Latin | meritum | merit, service, deserts; value, reward, benefit,... |
| 6 | Latin | meritus | earned, deserved, obtained, due, proper, right,... |
| 7 | Latin | mereō | to deserve, merit |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mer- | to fall into thinking, remember, care for; to... |