palace

Where does the word "palace" come from? It comes from Latin Palatium, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Palace’s story begins in Latin: Palatium meant “the Palatine Hill.” The hill in Rome where Augustus and later emperors built their residences. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as palais. The name of one hill became the word for any royal house. It reached English by 1200s as palace. 'palatial' followed. Today, palace means an official residence of a monarch.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient Palatium "the Palatine Hill", the hill in Rome where Augustus and later emperors built their residences.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval palais "royal residence", the name of one hill became the word for any royal house.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s palace "a royal residence", 'palatial' followed.