Every European word for 'palace' traces to one Roman hill — the Palatine, where Augustus built his house.
Definition
The official residence of a sovereign, archbishop, or other exalted person; any large, impressive building.
The Full Story
Latin13th centurywell-attested
From Middle English paleis, from Old French palais, from Latin palātium — originally the proper name of the Mons Palātīnus (Palatine Hill), one of the seven hills of Rome. Augustus Caesar built his imperial residence on the Palatine around 28 BCE, and because the emperorlived there, the hill name became a common noun for any large, stately imperial or royal dwelling. The ultimate origin of Palātium as a place name is debated: some connect it to Pales
Did you know?
The Palatine Hill's own name may derive from Pales, the Roman goddess of shepherds and livestock — meaning the word 'palace' ultimately traces back to a pastoral deity's grazing hill, a striking inversion of its modern connotations of urban grandeur.