czar

Where does the word "czar" come from? It comes from Latin Caesar, passing through Russian before entering English (1600s).

Czar’s story begins in Latin: Caesar meant “emperor, a title of authority.” The family name of Julius Caesar, later a title for Roman emperors. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Russian as tsar. Borrowed as the title for the Russian emperor. It reached English by 1600s as czar. First recorded in 1555 in a translation by Richard Eden, the year the Muscovy Company was chartered to trade with Russia; later used loosely for anyone with great authority. Today, czar means a person with great authority in a particular field.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient Caesar "emperor, a title of authority", the family name of Julius Caesar, later a title for Roman emperors.
2. Stage 2 · Russian · 1500s tsar "the emperor of Russia", borrowed as the title for the Russian emperor.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s czar "an emperor, or a person with great authority in a field", first recorded in 1555 in a translation by Richard Eden, the year the Muscovy Company was chartered to trade with Russia; later used loosely for anyone with great authority.