Where does “publik” come from?

publik (Middle English) comes from Middle French public, from Latin pūblicus, from Old Latin poplicus, from Latin pōpulus, from Proto-Italic poplos — army.

Ancestry of “publik”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle French	public	—
2	Latin	pūblicus	—
3	Old Latin	poplicus	Alternative form of publicus
4	Latin	pōpulus	—
5	Proto-Italic	poplos	army

Every word from Proto-Italic poplos →

publik — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer