patriarch

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπατριά“generation, ancestry, descent, tribe, family”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromπατριάρχης“the founder of the tribe/family”
3. Old French · derived frompatriarche
4. Late Latin · derived frompatriarcha
5. Middle English · inherited frompatriark
6. English todaypatriarch

From Middle English patriark, patriarche, from Late Latin patriarcha; later reinforced by Old French patriarche, from Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “the founder of the tribe/family”), from Ancient Greek πατριά (patriá, “generation, ancestry, descent, tribe, family”) + -ᾰ́ρχης (-ắrkhēs, “-arch”), with some senses likely influenced directly by Latin pāter (“father”) or Ancient Greek πᾰτήρ (pătḗr, “father”). Compare matriarch. By surface analysis, patri- + -arch.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 9th c. The highest form of bishop, in the ancient world having authority over other bishops in the province but now generally as an honorary title; in Roman Catholicism, considered a bishop second only to the Pope in rank.
• from 13th c. A male leader of a family, tribe or ethnic group, especially one of the twelve sons of Jacob (considered to have created the twelve tribes of Israel) or (in plural) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
• from 16th c. A founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.