republicn.

Etymology: < Middle French republique (French république ) state (1457 with reference to the ancient Roman state as seized by Julius Caesar, 1498 with reference to Venice; also used of any state regardless of its form of government (now rare or obsolete in this sense)), community, organized society (1549), state which is not a hereditary monarchy (1549; c1553 with reference to the ideal state described by Plato), state in which the form of government is founded on the body of citizens (1620) and its etymon classical Latin rēspublica (ablative rēpublicā) affairs of state, welfare of the state, public good, the state (especially with reference to Rome), a state (actual or theoretical), especially with reference to its constitution, constitution, state in which all citizens participate, free state (as opposed to tyranny, etc.; sometimes applied specifically to the pre-imperial Roman state), in post-classical Latin also used to denote the Papal State (8th cent.) and the Byzantine Empire (early 9th cent.) < rēs thing, affair (see res n.¹) + publicus public adj. Compare Old Occitan republica (1449), Catalan república (1490), Spanish república (14th cent.), Portuguese república (15th cent.), Italian repubblica (a1292, in early use with reference to any independent or autonomous political entity, and also spec. to the ancient Roman state; 15th cent. denoting a state with an elected ruler, as opposed to a kingdom, principality, etc.).In β. forms probably after the Latin genitive form reīpublicae . Compare the following earlier example of classical Latin rēpublicā (ablative) in English context.c1495 Lydgate's Lytell Treat. Horse, Sheep, & Ghoos (de Worde) sig. aij^v In republyca, auayleth moost a man For his partye thus fyrste the horse began. With the republic of letters at sense 3b compare post-classical Latin respublica litteraria (1417; 1564 in a British source), French république des lettres (1648).