1
Stage 1 of 4
civitas
Latin · ancient
"citizenship; a city-state"
originally 'citizenship', later 'a community of citizens, a city'
2
Stage 2 of 4
cittadella
Italian · medieval
"a little city; a fortress"
a diminutive of citta 'city', naming a fortress guarding it
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Stage 3 of 4
citadelle
French · 1400s
"a fortress commanding a city"
borrowed from Italian for a fortress commanding a city
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Stage 4 of 4
citadel
English · 1580s
"a fortress protecting or dominating a city"
adopted for a fortress dominating an urban center
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