Etymology Map
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Bourgeois

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means relating to the middle class

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

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

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.