Etymograph

English

authority

Authority comes from Old French autorité, from Latin auctōritās ‘influence, prestige’, from auctor ‘author, originator’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- ‘to increase’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ewg-1‘to increase’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂owg-éye-ti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*augeō1‘to increase’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaugeō1‘to increase’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEauctor1‘author, originator’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEauctōritās1‘influence, prestige’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400autorité1‘authority’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500auctorite1‘authority’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1777authority1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English authority
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal: “SIR PETER. Very well! ma'am very well! so a…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ewg-Wiktionary, English authority‘to increase’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂owg-éye-tiWiktionary, English authorityreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*augeōWiktionary, English authority‘to increase’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaugeōWiktionary, English authority‘to increase’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEauctorWiktionary, English authority‘author, originator’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEauctōritāsWiktionary, English authority‘influence, prestige’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400autoritéWiktionary, English authority‘authority’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500auctoriteWiktionary, English authority‘authority’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1777authorityWiktionary, English authority. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal: “SIR PETER. Very well! ma'am very well! so a…”

The story

For the presence of the h, compare the etymology of author.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- ‘to increase, to enlarge’

august, nickname, eke, 10 more

through Proto-Italic *augeō ‘to increase’

auxiliary, augmentation, 6 more

through Latin augeō ‘to increase, augment, enlarge, spread, expand’

auction, augment, 6 more

through Latin auctor ‘author, originator’

auteur, 2 more

Today it means

noun Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “authority”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- / authority

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