English
plutocracy
Plutocracy comes from Ancient Greek πλουτοκρατία ‘rule of the wealthy’, from πλέω ‘to float, sail’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plew-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plew-‘to sail, flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pléwō‘to sail’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλέωpléō‘to float, sail’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπλοῦτος‘wealth’root of πλέω
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπλουτοκρατίαploutokratía‘rule of the wealthy’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897plutocracy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plew-‘to sail, flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pléwō‘to sail’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλέωpléō‘to float, sail’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπλοῦτος‘wealth’root of πλέω
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπλουτοκρατίαploutokratía‘rule of the wealthy’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897plutocracy
Earliest quotation: 1897, anonymous author, New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons: “Plutocracy, which is virtually supreme to-day, is to be…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *plew- ‘to sail, flow’
fly, flow, flew, pneumonia, fowl, plough, flue, flay, plover, 25 more
through Ancient Greek πλοῦτος ‘wealth’
Today it means
noun Government by the wealthy.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *plew- / plutocracy