Where does “tyrant” come from?
Tyrant comes from Middle English tyrant, from Old French tirant, from Latin tyrannus, from Ancient Greek τύραννος, a word for an illegitimate ruler or usurper of power.
tyrant (English): A usurper; one who gains power and rules...
Definitions
- A usurper; one who gains power and rules...
Ancestry of “tyrant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tyraunt | An absolute monarch; one who rules in despotism;... |
| 2 | Old French | tyrant | — |
| 3 | Old French | tiran | — |
| 4 | Latin | tyrannus | ruler, monarch; tyrant, despot |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τύραννος | absolute ruler , initially applied to Lydian king... |
Words derived from “tyrant”