academy

Where does the word "academy" come from? It comes from Greek Akademeia, passing through Latin and French before entering English (1500s).

Academy’s story begins in Greek: Akademeia meant “a grove near Athens; Plato's school.” A grove near Athens where the philosopher Plato taught. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as academia. Adopted for a place of higher learning. From there it passed into French as academie by medieval. Renaissance Italy revived the name for learned societies, and Cardinal Richelieu founded the Académie française on that model in 1635. It reached English by 1500s as academy. First recorded before 1382 in the Wycliffite Bible's English version of St Jerome's prefatory letter. Today, academy means an institution for higher learning, training, or research.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient Akademeia "a grove near Athens; Plato's school", a grove near Athens where the philosopher Plato taught.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient academia "a place of scholarly study", adopted for a place of higher learning.
3. Stage 3 · French · medieval academie "a school or society of learning", Renaissance Italy revived the name for learned societies, and Cardinal Richelieu founded the Académie française on that model in 1635.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1500s academy "an institution for higher learning or training", first recorded before 1382 in the Wycliffite Bible's English version of St Jerome's prefatory letter.