Origin and history of tyrant

tyrant(n.)

c. 1300, tiraunt, "absolute ruler," especially one without legal right; "cruel, oppressive ruler," from Old French tiran, tyrant (12c.), from Latin tyrannus "lord, master, monarch, despot," especially "arbitrary ruler, cruel governor, autocrat" (source also of Spanish tirano, Italian tiranno), from Greek tyrannos "lord, master, sovereign, absolute ruler unlimited by law or constitution."

This is said to be a loan-word from a language of Asia Minor (probably Lydian); Klein compares Etruscan Turan "mistress, lady" (surname of Venus). The unetymological -t appeared in Old French, probably by analogy with present-participle endings in -ant (compare ancient).

In the exact sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself the royal authority without having a right to it. This is how the Greeks understood the word 'tyrant': they applied it indifferently to good and bad princes whose authority was not legitimate. [Rousseau, "The Social Contract"]

Thus originally in Greek the word was not applied to old hereditary sovereignties (basileiai) and despotic kings, but it was used of usurpers, even when popular, moderate, and just (such as Cypselus of Corinth), however it soon became a word of reproach in the usual modern sense.

Now in later times the practice has arisen of using the term (tyrant) for thoroughly bad and wicked kings, kings who enact upon their people their lust for luxurious domination and the cruelest lordship. [Isidore of Seville, "The Etymologies," c. 630, Barney et al. transl.]

Fem. form tyranness is recorded from 1590 (Spenser); Medieval Latin had tyrannissa, hence Middle English tirauntesse (mid-15c.).

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to tyrant

ancient(adj.)

late 14c., auncyen, of persons, "very old;" c. 1400, of things, "having lasted from a remote period," from Old French ancien "old, long-standing, ancient," from Vulgar Latin *anteanus, literally "from before," adjectivization of Latin ante "before, in front of, against" (from PIE *anti "against," locative singular of root *ant- "front, forehead").

From early 15c. as "existing or occurring in times long past." Specifically, in history, "belonging to the period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire" (c. 1600, contrasted with medieval and modern). In English law, "from before the Norman Conquest."

As a noun, "very old person," late 14c.; "one who lived in former ages," 1530s. Ancient of Days "supreme being" is from Daniel vii.9. Related: Anciently.

The unetymological -t dates from 15c. and probably is from confusion with or by influence of words in -ent, -ant (suffix of nouns formed from present participles of verbs in first Latin conjugation).

The same process affected cormorant, parchment, pageant, peasant (in French), pheasant, tyrant (in French), also talaunt, former Middle English variant of talon, etc.and perhaps also currant, truant, pennant, allowing them to "simulate Latin endings to which, etymologically, they have no right." [Fitzedward Hall, "Modern English," 1873]

sovereign(n.)

late 13c., soverain, "superior, ruler, master, one who is superior to or has power over another," from Old French soverain "sovereign, lord, ruler," noun use of adjective meaning "highest, supreme, chief" (see sovereign (adj.)). Specifically by c. 1300 as "a king or queen, one who exercises dominion over people, a recognized supreme ruler of a realm." Also of Church authorities and heads of orders or houses as well as local civic officials.

Middle English had a tendency to add an unetymological -t to it, as in pheasant, tyrant. The spelling also was influenced by folk-etymology association with reign. Middle English Compendium lists 38 spellings including suffereignes; Elizabeth I, who was one, spelled it seven different ways. Milton prints it sovran, as though from Italian sovrano.

The meaning "gold coin worth 22s 6d" is attested from late 15c.; the value of it changed 1817 to 1 pound. In the political writings of 17c.-18c. it often has a sense of "the populace as the source of political power, the community in its collective and legislative capacity" and can be opposed to monarch.

Should it be argued, that a government like this, where the sovereignty resides in the whole body of the people, is a democracy ; it may be answered, that the right of sovereignty in all nations is unalienable and indivisible, and does and can reside nowhere else ; but, not to recur to a principle so general, the exercise, as well as the right of sovereignty, in Rome, resided in the people, but the government was not a democracy. In America, the right of sovereignty resides indisputably in the body of the people, and they have the whole property of land. There are no nobles or patricians; all are equal by law and by birth. [John Adams, "Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America," 1787-88]