hierarchy

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἱεραρχία“rule of a high priest”
2. Latin · derived fromhierarchia
3. Late Latin · derived fromierarchia
4. Old French · derived fromierarchie
5. Middle English · inherited fromierarchie
6. English todayhierarchy

From Middle English ierarchie, jerarchie, from Old French ierarchie, jerarchie, from Late Latin ierarchia, from Latin hierarchia, from Ancient Greek ἱεραρχία (hierarkhía, “rule of a high priest”), from ἱεράρχης (hierárkhēs, “high priest”), from ἱερός (hierós, “holy”) + ἄρχω (árkhō, “to rule”), equivalent to hiero- + -archy. The H was re-added c. 1500 due to influence from Classical Latin.