Where does “civitas” come from?
civitas (Latin) comes from Proto-Italic keiwis, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
Ancestry of “civitas”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Italic | keiwis | society; citizen |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |