An absence of governing authority; also a political ideal.
Played on · Day 12 · word 1 of 5
Without a leader.
How anarchy reached English
oldest first
Simplified path. The puzzle showed the main steps; the full route is being checked.
Greek
an-‘without’
archos‘leader’
combined
combined
English
anarchy
‘An absence of governing authority; also a political ideal.’
The story of anarchy
Greek anarchía was built from a word describing the absence of a head or chief. Medieval Latin carried the formation onward. Its historical components concern a missing leader; later political and everyday senses develop that starting point differently.
This view explains the components. They are pieces of one construction, not consecutive borrowing stages.