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Tactic

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means an action planned to achieve an end

Where does the word "tactic" come from? It comes from Greek taktikos, passing through French before entering English (1600s).

taktikos→tactique→tactic

Greek · ancient

Greek, from 'tassein', to arrange troops

French · 1600s

came via Modern Latin 'tactica'

English · 1600s

"military arranging"

'tactical' voting dates from the 1900s

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Tactic’s story begins in Greek: taktikos meant “of arranging.” Greek, from 'tassein', to arrange troops. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as tactique. Came via Modern Latin 'tactica'. It reached English by 1600s as tactic. 'tactical' voting dates from the 1900s. Today, tactic means an action planned to achieve an end.