Etymograph

English

policy

Policy comes from Middle English policie, from Old French policie, from Latin polītīa, from Ancient Greek πολιτεία ‘citizenship’, from πόλις ‘city’, ultimately from PIE *tpólHis.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tpólHisreconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ptólis‘city’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπόλις‘city’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολίτηςpolítēs‘citizen’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολιτείαpoliteía‘citizenship’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpolītīa
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400policie
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1580policy

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tpólHisreconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ptólis‘city’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπόλις‘city’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολίτηςpolítēs‘citizen’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπολιτείαpoliteía‘citizenship’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpolītīa
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400policie
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1580policy

Earliest quotation: c. 1580, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., (please specify the folio): “I pray you (said he) honest men, what such…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek πόλις ‘city’

politico, polis, politique, 8 more

through Ancient Greek πολίτης ‘citizen’

politic, 2 more

through Latin polītīa

polity, 1 more

Another origin of policy

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀποδείκνῡμι‘to show, display’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀπόδειξιςapódeixis‘proof, declaration’
  3. Byzantine Greekc. 600–1453*ἀπόδειξαreconstructed
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500apodissa‘receipt for money’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentpolizza‘policy (insurance)’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600police‘governance’
  7. Englishtodaypolicy

Today it means

noun A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tpólHis / policy

Shirt and support for this word