Citizenship
/ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/noun
The status or rights of being a member of a particular country or community.
Did you know?Citizenship ultimately comes from Latin *civis*, the same root that gave us *civil*, *civic*, and *city*, tying legal membership to the ancient idea of life inside a fortified community.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kei-
“to lie down, settle, or be at home”
Latin
Latin
civis
“a citizen, member of a community”
Latin
Latin
civitas
“citizenship, community of citizens, city-state”
Old French
OF
citeien
“citizen”
Middle English
English
citizene
“inhabitant of a city, burgess”
Modern English
English
citizenship
“the status and rights of being a citizen”