coup d'etat

Where does the word "coup d'etat" come from? It comes from French coup, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Coup d'etat’s story begins in French: coup meant “a blow of state.” A blow, a strike, combined with d'etat (of the state). It reached English by 1640s as coup d'etat. Napoleon's 1799 seizure of power, the coup of 18 Brumaire, is a famous example. Today, coup d'etat means a sudden, often violent, illegal seizure of a government's power.

1. Stage 1 · French · medieval coup "a blow of state", a blow, a strike, combined with d'etat (of the state).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1640s coup d'etat "the sudden, illegal seizure of government power", Napoleon's 1799 seizure of power, the coup of 18 Brumaire, is a famous example.