bourgeois

Where does the word "bourgeois" come from? It comes from Late Latin burgus, passing through Old French before entering English (1560s).

Bourgeois’s story begins in Late Latin: burgus meant “fortified town.” A Late Latin word from Germanic 'burg'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as burgeis. A free citizen of a town. It reached English by 1560s as bourgeois. Marxist use made it a word for the capitalist class. Today, bourgeois means relating to the middle class.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient burgus "fortified town", a Late Latin word from Germanic 'burg'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval burgeis "townsman", a free citizen of a town.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1560s bourgeois "townsman", Marxist use made it a word for the capitalist class.