English
palace
Palace comes from Middle English paleys, from Old French palais, from Latin palātium, from Palātium, the Palatine Hill in Rome.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPalātium‘the Palatine Hill’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpalātium
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400palais
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500paleys‘a palace’
- Englishearliest quotation 1834palace
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPalātium‘the Palatine Hill’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpalātium
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400palais
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500paleys‘a palace’
- Englishearliest quotation 1834palace
Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “On Madame de Mercœur's arrival at the palace she…”
The story
From Middle English paleys, from Old French palais, which comes from Latin palātium, from Palātium, in reference to the Palatine (Palatine Hill), one of the seven hills of Rome, where the aristocracy of the Roman Republic—and later, Roman emperors—built large, splendid residences. The name is ultimately either from Etruscan, the same source as Pales (‘Pales, the Italic goddess of shepherds, flocks and livestock’), or Latin palus (‘stake; enclosure’).
Linked words
through Latin palātium
Today it means
noun Official residence of a head of state or other dignitary, especially in a monarchical or imperial governmental system.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin Palātium / palace