Where does “metropolis” come from?
metropolis (Late Latin) comes from Ancient Greek μητρόπολις, from Ancient Greek πόλις, from Proto-Hellenic ptólis, from Proto-Indo-European tpólHis, from Proto-Indo-European tpelH- — fortification, city.
metropolis (Late Latin): metropolis
Ancestry of “metropolis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | μητρόπολις | mother-state; one's mother-city, mother country,... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πόλις | city; a whole country, as dependent on and called... |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | ptólis | city |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tpólHis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tpelH- | fortification, city |
Words derived from “metropolis”