Etymologically
Log in

democraticus

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word democraticus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
13th century, Albertus Magnus
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek δημοκρατικός
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek δημοκρατικός

Forms

dēmocraticus, dēmocratica, dēmocraticum; first/second-declension adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek δημοκρατικός (dēmokratikós, “of or for democracy”),[2][1][3] from δημοκρατία (dēmokratía, “popular government”).[3] The word was taken into Medieval Latin,[2][1][3] beside dēmocratia.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Albertus Magnus is the first to use it, in his work on Aristotle's politics, where it renders the Greek word; he writes that “democraticus principatus non simpliciter pessimus” is not simply the worst rule, but less good than kingship and aristocracy.[2][1]

Semantic evolution

In the scholastic writers it described a constitution or community ruled by the people: Thomas Aquinas speaks of a communitas, lex and politia democratica.[4][1] Albertus also used the neuter as a noun for a feature of democracy.[2]

Neo-Latin writers kept the word for popular government, from Cyriac of Ancona's city “flourishing in democratic liberty” to Spinoza's Tractatus politicus.[5] In Poland senatus democraticus was a name for the chamber of deputies of the diet.[6] English democratic came about 1600 from French démocratique, from the Medieval Latin word.[3]

Timeline

  • 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it of rule by the people.[2][1]
  • 3rd quarter of the 13th century – Thomas Aquinas uses it in the Summa.[1][4]
  • c. 1600 – English democratic, through French.[3]
  • 1605 – Joseph Hall's Mundus alter et idem calls a state democratic.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) Of or relating to democracy, democratic.[2][1][4][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin, neuter as noun) A feature or principle of democracy.[2]
  3. (New Latin) senatus democraticus: the chamber of deputies of the Polish diet.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
  5. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
  6. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  7. ^ Jeanneau, Gérard; Woitrain, Jean-Paul; Hassid, Jean-Claude (2017), Dictionnaire latin-français, online ed., prima-elementa.fr

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Democraticus.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/democraticus. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·