metropolitan

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*méh₂tēr
2. Proto-Hellenic*mā́tēr
3. Ancient Greekμήτηρ (mḗtēr)
4. Proto-Indo-European*tpelH-
5. Proto-Hellenic*ptólis
6. Ancient Greekπόλῐς (pólĭs)
7. Ancient Greekμητρόπολις (mētrópolis)
8. Latinmētropolis
9. Late Latinmētropolītānus
10. English todaymetropolitan

From Late Latin mētropolītānus, from mētropolis [itself from Ancient Greek μητρόπολις (mētrópolis, literally “mother-polis”)] + -ītānus (“-itan”, suffix forming adjectives from nouns ending with -polis) [ultimately from Ancient Greek -ίτης (-ítēs, “-ite”) + -ānus (“-an”)]. By surface analysis, metropolis + -itan (i.e. metropolis + -ite + -an).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. A bishop empowered to oversee other bishops; an archbishop.
• from 18th c. The inhabitant of a metropolis.
• from 15th c. Pertaining to the see or province of a metropolitan.
• from 16th c. Of, or pertaining to, a metropolis or other large urban settlement.