English
ruling class
From ruling + class.
Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call’
Latin classis ‘a class or division of the people’
Middle French classe
English class
The story
First use appears c. 1653.
Today it means
noun The social class within a society that holds dominant power and controls its main institutions, especially those linked to the economy, politics, and the military.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / ruling class