Where does “aristocratie” come from?
aristocratie (Middle French) comes from Medieval Latin aristocratia, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ, from Ancient Greek ἄριστος, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éristos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.
Ancestry of “aristocratie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | aristocratia | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἀριστοκρατίᾱ | aristocracy; the rule of the best; the rule of... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἄριστος | best (in multivarious contexts) |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éristos | fittest, most fitting, most suitable |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |