Greek gave English its words for who is in charge. -cracy (also -crat) means “rule” or “power”: democracy is rule by the people (dem, people). -archy (also -arch) means “rule” or “chief”: a monarchy is ruled by one (mon, one). And auto- means “self”: an automatic door opens by itself.
Key idea
-cracy, -crat = rule, power. -archy, -arch = rule, chief, first. auto- = self.
Put a word for “who” in front and you name a kind of rule. autocrat: a self-ruler, one person with total power. oligarchy: rule by a few (olig, few). anarchy: no ruler at all (an-, without). bureaucracy: rule by offices (bureau, French for desk or office).
The parts and their words
Words taken apart
| Word and meaning | Parts, and what they say |
|---|---|
| autocrat a ruler with total power | auto- self + crat ruler → “a self-ruler” |
| autonomy self-government; independence | auto- self + nom law + -y → “self-law (making one’s own rules)” |
| bureaucracy government by many officials and rules | bureau office, desk + -cracy rule → “rule by offices” |
| anarchy absence of government; disorder | an- without + arch ruler + -y → “without a ruler” |
| oligarchy rule by a small group | olig few + -archy rule → “rule by a few” |
| hierarchy a system ranking people or things one above another | hier sacred + -archy rule → “sacred rule (ranks of priests, then any ranking)” |
| monarchy a country ruled by a king or queen | mon- one + -archy rule → “rule by one” |
| democracy government by the people, usually through elected leaders | demo people + -cracy rule → “rule by the people” |
Worked example: Use the parts
In the old city, a handful of rich families made every decision. Was it a democracy, a monarchy or an oligarchy?
- democracy: demo (people) + -cracy: rule by the people. Not this one.
- monarchy: mon (one) + -archy: rule by one. Not this one either.
- oligarchy: olig (few) + -archy: rule by a few. A handful of families is a few.
Answer: An oligarchy.
Meet the words
Common mistake
arch does not always mean rule. It can also mean “chief” or “first”: an archenemy is a chief enemy, and an archetype is a first model that others copy. And a hierarchy is now any ranking from top to bottom, not just one run by priests.