publicize

Where does the word "publicize" come from? It comes from Latin populus, passing through Latin and English before entering English (1911).

Publicize’s story begins in Latin: populus meant “the people.” The people, giving rise to publicus (of the people). Within Latin, it grew into publicus by ancient. Of the people, belonging to the public, from populus. From there it passed into English as public by 1300s. Settled as the English word for something open to or shared by everyone. It reached English by 1911 as publicize. Formed from public with the English suffix -ize, for making something widely known. Today, publicize means to make something widely known to the public.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient populus "the people", the people, giving rise to publicus (of the people).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient publicus "of the people, belonging to the public", of the people, belonging to the public, from populus.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s public "open to or shared by everyone", settled as the English word for something open to or shared by everyone.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1911 publicize "to make something widely known", formed from public with the English suffix -ize, for making something widely known.