English
police
Police comes from Middle French police ‘governance’, from Latin polītīa ‘state, government’, from Ancient Greek πολιτεία, and ultimately from πόλις ‘city’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tpelH-‘fortification; city’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tpólHisreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ptólis‘city’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπόλιςpólis‘city’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολῑ́τηςpolī́tēs‘citizen’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολῑτείᾱpolīteíā‘citizenship; government’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpolītīa‘state, government’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600police‘governance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1900same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tpelH-‘fortification; city’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tpólHisreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ptólis‘city’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπόλιςpólis‘city’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολῑ́τηςpolī́tēs‘citizen’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολῑτείᾱpolīteíā‘citizenship; government’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpolītīa‘state, government’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600police‘governance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1900same form
Earliest quotation: 1900, Proceedings of the eighth annual meeting: “This comes to him through the company housekeeping, for…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tpelH- ‘fortification, city’
through Ancient Greek πόλις ‘city’
through Ancient Greek πολῑ́της ‘citizen’
through Latin politia ‘state, government’
Today it means
noun A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tpelH- / police