populace

Where does the word "populace" come from? It comes from Latin populus, passing through Italian and French before entering English (1570s).

Populace’s story begins in Latin: populus meant “the people.” The root of 'people', 'popular' and 'public'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as populaccio. The common people as a mass, from popolo (people, from populus). From there it passed into French as populace by 1500s. Carried into French for the general body of ordinary people. It reached English by 1570s as populace. Settled as the English word for the general public of a place. Today, populace means the general public or common people of a particular area.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient populus "the people", the root of 'people', 'popular' and 'public'.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval populaccio "the common people as a mass", the common people as a mass, from popolo (people, from populus).
3. Stage 3 · French · 1500s populace "the general body of ordinary people", carried into French for the general body of ordinary people.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1570s populace "the general public or common people of a place", settled as the English word for the general public of a place.