Etymology

city

cit·y
C3I1T1Y4

Today it means: A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place. Full definition →

Middle English cite ← Old French citet ← Late Latin cīvitātem (city)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱey-
  2. Proto-Italic*keiwis
  3. Latinceivis
  4. Latinceivitās
  5. Late Latincīvitātem (city)
  6. Old Frenchcitet
  7. Middle Englishcite
  8. English todaycity

Inherited from Middle English cite, derived from Old French cite, derived from Late Latin cīvitātem (“city”), in Classical Latin "citizenry", derived from cīvis (“fellow-citizen”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“lie down; settle”). Cognate with Old English hīwan pl (“members of one's household, servants”). See hewe. Doublet of civitas. Mostly displaced native Old English burg, whence Modern English borough.

Words from the same roots

Old Frenchcite all →

citizen

Proto-Indo-European*ḱey- all →

ceilidhhewekinesics

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.