Where does “City” come from?

City (German) comes from English city, from Middle English cite, from Old French citet, from Latin cīvitās, from Proto-Italic keiwis, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.

City (German): city center, downtown, central business district

Definitions

  1. city center, downtown, central business district

Ancestry of “City”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcityA large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes...
2Middle Englishcitecity
3Old FrenchcitetAlternative form of cité
4Latincīvitās—
5Proto-Italickeiwissociety; citizen
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

Words derived from “City”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- →Every word from Proto-Italic keiwis →Every word from Latin cīvitās →