Where does “tyranny” come from?
Tyranny comes from Middle English tirannye, from Old French tyrannie, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, from Ancient Greek τυραννία, derived from τύραννος meaning an absolute ruler.
tyranny (English): A government in which a single ruler has...
Definitions
- A government in which a single ruler has...
Ancestry of “tyranny”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tirannye | Tyranny, tyrannical deeds; the harsh and... |
| 2 | Old French | tyrannie | — |
| 3 | Latin | tyrannia | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τυραννία | tyranny |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |