Where does “policy” come from?
Policy comes from Middle French police, from Latin politia, from Ancient Greek πόλις meaning city-state, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European tpelH-.
policy (English): A principle of behaviour, conduct etc. thought to...
Definitions
- A principle of behaviour, conduct etc. thought to...
Ancestry of “policy”, step by step
policy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English policie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | policie | — |
| 2 | Old French | policie | — |
| 3 | Latin | polītīa | state, government, administration |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πολιτεία | the relation in which a citizen stands to the... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πολῑ́της | citizen |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -της | Forms nouns representing a state of being; Added... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tāts | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |
via Middle French police
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | police | governance; management |
| 2 | Italian | polizza | policy; bill, voucher |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | apodissa | receipt for money |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀπόδειξις | setting, showing forth, publication; proof;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -σῐς | "suffix forming nouns" |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |