Where does “démagogue” come from?
démagogue (Middle French) comes from Ancient Greek δημαγωγός, from Ancient Greek δῆμος, from Ancient Greek γράφω, from Proto-Hellenic grəpʰō, from Proto-Indo-European gerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...
Ancestry of “démagogue”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | δημαγωγός | a popular leader |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | δῆμος | district, country, land; the common people; free... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | γράφω | to scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to... |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | grəpʰō | to scratch, cut or carve into; to draw ,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gerbʰ- | to carve |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |
Words derived from “démagogue”