Re: FW: WIDOWS POLICES ??

From: Michael Everson ([email protected])
Date: Sat Oct 28 2000 - 06:06:17 EDT


Ar 10:21 -0800 2000-10-27, scr�obh Alain LaBont� :

>[Alain] I should add, for the records, that the word � police � in the
>sense of "cop" in French comes from Greek "politeia", which means
>"political body" and the word � police � in the sense of "font" comes from
>ancient proven�al "polissia", which means "receipt, bill" (itself from
>Greek "apodeixis", "proof").

Alain has oversimplified the etymologies here.

French police 'gendarme'
   < medieval Latin politia
   < Greek politeia 'citizenship'

French police 'font, bill of lading'
   < Proven�al poliss(i)a
   < medieval Latin apodissa, apodixa via Latin apodixis
   < Greek apodeixis 'evidence, proof'

Michael Everson ** Everson Gunn Teoranta ** http://www.egt.ie
15 Port Chaeimhghein �ochtarach; Baile �tha Cliath 2; �ire/Ireland
Vox +353 1 478 2597 ** Fax +353 1 478 2597 ** Mob +353 86 807 9169
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