Heptarchy
/ˈhɛp.tɑːr.ki/noun
A group or system of seven rulers or states, especially the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of early England.
Did you know?The term was popularized in later historical writing to describe early medieval England, but its core comes from Greek political vocabulary where numbers and rule were fused into a single authority-word.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἑπτά (heptá)
“seven”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀρχή (arkhḗ)
“rule, authority, beginning”
Late Greek
Greek
ἑπταρχία (heptarchía)
“rule by seven; a sevenfold rule or division”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
heptarchia
“a heptarchy, a rule or division into seven parts”
17th Century
English
heptarchy
“the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of early England; a rule or state of seven rulers”
Modern English
English
heptarchy
“a system or group of seven rulers or states, especially the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms”