Etymology Explorer › Medieval Latin

Where does “basilica” come from?

basilica (Medieval Latin) comes from Ancient Greek βασιλική, from Ancient Greek βασιλεύς, from Proto-Hellenic gʷatiléus — chief; king.

Ancestry of “basilica”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekβασιλικήbasilica; royal thing; royal
2Ancient Greekβασιλεύςchief, master; king, lord, patron
3Proto-Hellenicgʷatiléuschief; king
Every word from Proto-Hellenic gʷatiléus →