Wordwyrt

hierarchy

/ˈhaɪəˌɑːki/HIGH-ur-ahr-kee
/ˈhaɪɚˌɑɹki/HIGH-ur-ahr-kee

Meaningholy rule

Common meaning: a ranking of levels

‘holy, set apart for the gods’ + ‘a beginning’ → hierarchy

Journey through time

  • hier — Greek ἱερός “holy, set apart for the gods” (path traced)
  • arch — Greek ἀρχή “a beginning; rule, command” (path traced)

Parts join in French as hierarchie.

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√IS‘be vigorous’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 35, p. 731 · scan
  2. Greekἱερός + ἀρχή‘holy, set apart for the gods + a beginning’
  3. Frenchhierarchie
  4. Englishhierarchy‘a ranking of levels’ · today

hier also in: hieroglyph

arch also in: archaicarchaicallyarchipelagomonarchgynarchy

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek ἱερός ‘holy, set apart for the gods’ + Greek ἀρχή ‘a beginning; rule, command’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry ἀρχή, p. 121 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • ἀρχή Greek “a beginning; rule, command”
  • ἱερός Greek “holy, set apart for the gods”

Related words

archaicarchaicallyarchipelagogynarchymonarchpatriarchhieroglyph

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