English
territorial
Territorial comes from Latin territorium ‘territory’, from terra ‘land’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ters- ‘dry’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ters-‘dry’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*terzā‘earth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterra‘land’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterritorium‘territory’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEterritorialis
- Englishearliest quotation 1918territorial
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ters-‘dry’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*terzā‘earth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterra‘land’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterritorium‘territory’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEterritorialis
- Englishearliest quotation 1918territorial
Earliest quotation: 1918, Woodrow Wilson, Fourteen Points: “Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated ; occupied…”
Formed from territory + -al
Proto-Indo-European *ters- ‘dry’
…
Proto-Italic *tersā ‘earth’
Latin terra ‘dry land’
Latin territōrium ‘territory’
Middle English territorie
English territory
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ters- ‘dry’
test, inter, toast, thirst, torrent, terrestrial, torrid, 43 more
through Proto-Italic *terzā ‘earth’
through Latin terra ‘land’
terrain, terrace, terra, fossa, fosse, 18 more
through Latin territorium ‘territory’
Today it means
adj Of, relating to, or restricted to a specific geographic area, or territory.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ters- / territorial