English
anarchy
Anarchy comes from New Latin anarchia ‘the state of not having a ruler or leader’, from Ancient Greek ἀρχή ‘beginning, origin’, and ultimately from ἄρχω.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄρχω‘to begin, to be first in order’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀρχή‘beginning, origin’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἄναρχος‘without leader’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀναρχίαanarkhía‘lack of a leader’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900anarchia‘the state of not having a ruler or leader’
- Englishearliest quotation 1819anarchy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄρχω‘to begin, to be first in order’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀρχή‘beginning, origin’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἄναρχος‘without leader’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀναρχίαanarkhía‘lack of a leader’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900anarchia‘the state of not having a ruler or leader’
- Englishearliest quotation 1819anarchy
Earliest quotation: 1819, Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Masque of Anarchy. A Poem. […]: “And each dweller, panic-stricken, Felt his heart with terror…”
Equivalent to an- + -archy
Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ‘on, onto’
Proto-Germanic *ana- ‘on’
Proto-West Germanic *ana- ‘Forming verbs and adjectives from participles…’
English an-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- ‘to fit, put together’
order, reason, ready, rate, art, article, army, artist, arm, ratio, ordinary, alarm, harmony, coordination, armor, coordinate, arthritis, articulate, subordinate, ordination, arithmetic, inertia, harmonic, ornament, inert, aristocratic, adorn, harmonious, ornate, articulation, artisan, armament, ordinate, rta, ordinator, armadillo, rime, harmonize, ordain, ordinal, 78 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂r̥-sḱe-ti ‘to start, rule’
through Ancient Greek ἄρχω ‘to begin, to be first in order’
through Ancient Greek ἀρχή ‘beginning, origin’
Today it means
noun The state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἄρχω / anarchy