citizenyoudaoicibaDictYouDict[citizen 词源字典]
citizen: [14] The Latin word for ‘citizen’ was cīvis. From it was formed the derivative cīvitās ‘citizenship, city state’, from which English gets city. From this in turn a new derivative was formed in Vulgar Latin, *cīvitātānus ‘citizen’, replacing the original cīvis. This found its way, much changed, into Old French as citeain (whence modern French citoyen). Anglo- Norman altered the Old French form to citezein, possibly on analogy with Anglo-Norman deinzein ‘denizen’.
[citizen etymology, citizen origin, 英语词源]
citizen (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
early 14c., "inhabitant of a city," from Anglo-French citezein (spelling subsequently altered, probably by influence of denizen), from Old French citeien "city-dweller, town-dweller, citizen" (12c., Modern French citoyen), from cite (see city) + -ain (see -ian). Replaced Old English burhsittend and ceasterware. Sense of "inhabitant of a country" is late 14c. Citizen's arrest recorded from 1941; citizen's band (radio) from 1947. Citizen of the world (late 15c.) translates Greek kosmopolites.