Where does “politic” come from?
Politic derives from Middle French politique, from Latin politicus, from Greek πολιτικός, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root tpelH- meaning to spread or unfold.
politic (English): Of or relating to polity, or civil government;...
Definitions
- Of or relating to polity, or civil government;...
Ancestry of “politic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | politique | — |
| 2 | Latin | polīticus | political, civil, of the state, relating to civil polity |
| 3 | Swedish | politisk | political, having to do with politics |
| 4 | Swedish | politik | politics |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πολιτικός | civic, constitutional, public; social |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πολῑ́της | citizen |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -της | Forms nouns representing a state of being; Added... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | -tāts | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |