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Origin and history of hierarchy

hierarchy(n.)

late 14c., jerarchie, ierarchie, "rank in the sacred order; one of the three divisions of the nine orders of angels;" loosely, "rule, dominion," from Old French ierarchie (14c., Modern French hiérarchie), from Medieval Latin hierarchia "ranked division of angels" (in the system of Dionysius the Areopagite).

This is from Greek hierarkhia "rule of a high priest," from hierarkhēs "high priest, leader of sacred rites" (see hierarch).

The sense of "ranked organization of persons or things" is recorded in English by 1610s, initially of clergy, and probably influenced or reinforced by resemblance to unrelated higher.

hierarchy

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to hierarchy

hierarch(n.)

"one who rules in holy things," 1570s, from Medieval Latin hierarcha, from Greek hierarkhia, from hierarkhēs "leader of sacred rites, high priest," from ta hiera "the sacred rites" (neuter plural of hieros "sacred;" see ire) + arkhein "to lead, rule" (see archon). In Greek antiquity a minor priest attached to certain temples in charge of the offerings and the records of them.

higher

comparative of high (adj.), Old English hierra (West Saxon), hera (Anglian). Higher education is attested by 1839.

The French distinguish l'instruction secondaire, which includes what we term a liberal education, from l'instruction supérieure, which denotes professional education; but I do not think the corresponding English phrases are used with this distinction. [William Whewell, "Of a Liberal Education in General," 1850]

Higher-up (n.) "one in a superior post" is from 1905, American English.

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Trends of hierarchy

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

Gnostic
Applied to various early Christian sects that claimed direct personal knowledge beyond the Gospel or the Church hierarchy...
ovate
assumed Latin plural Ovatēs, from Greek Ouateis "soothsayers, prophets," mentioned by Strabo as a third order in the Gaulish hierarchy...
degree
c. 1200, "a step, a stair," also "a position in a hierarchy," and "a stage of progress, a single movement toward an end,"...Most extended senses in Middle English are from the notion of a hierarchy of steps....
plausible
the situation that allows senior officials or powers to deny responsibility for discreditable actions by others in their hierarchy...
Puritan
in reference to a class of Protestants that arose in 16th century England, originally generally, "opponent of Anglican hierarchy...
mafia
quarrelsome, they are members of an association with distinct patterns of behavior (including an initiation ritual) and a hierarchy...
rank
1934, African-American vernacular, though this also may be so called from the role of the activity in establishing social hierarchy...
brass
"yellow malleable alloy metal, harder than copper," Old English bræs "brass, bronze," originally any alloy of copper, in England usually with tin (this is now called bronze), later and in modern use an alloy of roughly two parts copper to one part zinc. A mystery word, with no kn
establishment
late 15c., "settled arrangement," also "income, property," from establish + -ment. Meaning "established church" is from 1731; Sense of "place of business" is from 1832. Meaning "social matrix of ruling people and institutions" is attested occasionally from 1923, consistently from
governance
late 14c., governaunce, "act or manner of governing," from Old French governance "government, rule, administration; (rule of) conduct" (Modern French gouvernance), from governer "to govern, rule, command" (see govern). Fowler (1926) writes that the word "has now the dignity of in

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