English
civility
Civility comes from Latin civilitas ‘courteousness, politeness’, from cīvis ‘citizen’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- ‘to be lying down’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱey-‘to be lying down’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*keiwis‘society’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEceivis
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcīvis‘citizen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcīvīlis‘civic, civil, courteous’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcivilitas‘courteousness, politeness’
- Englishearliest quotation 1549civility
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱey-‘to be lying down’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*keiwis‘society’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEceivis
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcīvis‘citizen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcīvīlis‘civic, civil, courteous’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcivilitas‘courteousness, politeness’
- Englishearliest quotation 1549civility
Earliest quotation: 1549, Hughe Latymer [i.e.: “For what an enormity is this in a chriſtian…”
Formed from civil + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *ḱey-
Latin cīvis ‘citizen’
Latin cīvīlis ‘relating to a citizen’
Old French civil
Middle English cyvyl
English civil
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- ‘to be lying down’
home, city, hide, cemetery, coma, haunt, hame, ceilidh, 32 more
through Latin ceivis
citadel, civics, civitas, 19 more
through Latin cīvis ‘citizen’
Today it means
noun Speech or behaviour that is fit for civil interactions; politeness, courtesy.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- / civility