polis

See also: Appendix:Variations of "polis"

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

polis

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• enPR: pŏʹlĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈpɒ.lɪs/
• enPR: pōʹlĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊ.lɪs/
• Rhymes: -ɒlɪs

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *tpelH-

Proto-Hellenic *ptólis

Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis)lbor.

English polis

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis, “fortified town; city state”).

Noun

polis (plural poleis or polises)

1. (historical) A Greek city-state.
   • 2006, Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation, Atlantic Books 2007, page 161:

     By the end of the century, poleis had been established throughout the Hellenic world, all bearing a marked family resemblance.

Related terms

• -polis

Translations

a city or city-state

Bulgarian: полис m (polis) Catalan: polis (ca) f Chinese: Mandarin: 城邦 (zh) (chéngbāng) Czech: polis (cs) f Dutch: polis (nl) Finnish: polis (fi), kaupunkivaltio (fi) French: polis (fr) Georgian: პოლისი (ṗolisi), ქალაქ-სახელმწიფო (kalak-saxelmc̣ipo) German: Polis (de) f Greek: Πόλις-κράτος (Pólis-krátos) Hungarian: városállam (hu) Italian: polis (it) f Japanese: 都市 (ja) (toshi), ポリス (ja) (porisu) Polish: polis (pl) n Portuguese: pólis (pt) f Spanish: polis (es)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Scots polis. Doublet of police, policy, and polity.

Alternative forms

• pollis

Noun

polis (countable and uncountable, plural polises)

1. (uncountable, Scotland, Ireland, Geordie) The police.
   • 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 328:

     Even in his Ma's womb, you would have had to define Spud less as a foetus, more as a set of dormant drug and personality problems. He'd probably draw the polis onto them through knocking a saltcellar out of the Little Chef.

2. (countable, Scotland, Ireland, Geordie) A police officer.

Further reading

• Oxford Dictionaries Online. "polis". 2015.
• Bill Griffiths, editor (2004), “polis”, in A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear: Northumbria University Press, →ISBN.

Anagrams

• spoil

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		полис
Arabic		پولیس

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [poˈlis]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pol‧is

Noun

polis (definite accusative polisi, plural polislər)

1. police (an organisation that enforces the law)

   polis idarəsi ― police department

   polis şöbəsi ― police station, police district

   polis əməkdaşı ― police employee

2. police (member of the police force)

Declension

Declension of polis

	singular	plural
nominative	polis	polislər
definite accusative	polisi	polisləri
dative	polisə	polislərə
locative	polisdə	polislərdə
ablative	polisdən	polislərdən
definite genitive	polisin	polislərin

Possessive forms of polis

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	polisim	polislərim
sənin (“your”)	polisin	polislərin
onun (“his/her/its”)	polisi	polisləri
bizim (“our”)	polisimiz	polislərimiz
sizin (“your”)	polisiniz	polisləriniz
onların (“their”)	polisi or polisləri	polisləri
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	polisimi	polislərimi
sənin (“your”)	polisini	polislərini
onun (“his/her/its”)	polisini	polislərini
bizim (“our”)	polisimizi	polislərimizi
sizin (“your”)	polisinizi	polislərinizi
onların (“their”)	polisini or polislərini	polislərini
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	polisimə	polislərimə
sənin (“your”)	polisinə	polislərinə
onun (“his/her/its”)	polisinə	polislərinə
bizim (“our”)	polisimizə	polislərimizə
sizin (“your”)	polisinizə	polislərinizə
onların (“their”)	polisinə or polislərinə	polislərinə
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	polisimdə	polislərimdə
sənin (“your”)	polisində	polislərində
onun (“his/her/its”)	polisində	polislərində
bizim (“our”)	polisimizdə	polislərimizdə
sizin (“your”)	polisinizdə	polislərinizdə
onların (“their”)	polisində or polislərində	polislərində
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	polisimdən	polislərimdən
sənin (“your”)	polisindən	polislərindən
onun (“his/her/its”)	polisindən	polislərindən
bizim (“our”)	polisimizdən	polislərimizdən
sizin (“your”)	polisinizdən	polislərinizdən
onların (“their”)	polisindən or polislərindən	polislərindən
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	polisimin	polislərimin
sənin (“your”)	polisinin	polislərinin
onun (“his/her/its”)	polisinin	polislərinin
bizim (“our”)	polisimizin	polislərimizin
sizin (“your”)	polisinizin	polislərinizin
onların (“their”)	polisinin or polislərinin	polislərinin

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from English police.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /poˈlis/ [poˈl̪is̪]
• Hyphenation: po‧lis

Noun

polís (Badlit spelling ᜉᜓᜎᜒᜐ᜔)

1. a police officer; a cop
2. a civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintaining public order

Czech

Czech Wikipedia has an article on:

polis

Wikipedia ^cs

Etymology

International learned borrowing Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis, “fortified town; city state”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpolɪs]

Noun

polis f (indeclinable)

1. polis (ancient Greek city-state)

Related terms

Related terms

• Akropole
• Akropolis
• antipolitický
• apolitický
• kosmopolita
• kosmopolitický
• kosmopolitismus
• kosmopolitní
• megalopole
• metropole
• nekropole
• polda
• policajt
• policie
• policista
• poliklinika
• poliš
• politbyro
• politický
• politik
• politika
• politikum
• politizace
• politizovat

Further reading

• “polis”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “polis”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpoː.lɪs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: po‧lis

Etymology 1

From French police (from Italian polizza, q.v.).

Noun

polis f (plural polissen, diminutive polisje n)

1. insurance policy
2. insurance plan

Derived terms

• verzekeringspolis
• woekerpolis

Descendants

• → Indonesian: polis

Etymology 2

International learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis) since the 1970s (probably via English polis).

Noun

polis f (plural poleis, no diminutive)

1. (historical) a polis; an ancient, especially Ancient Greek, city state or city

Finnish

Finnish Wikipedia has an article on:

polis

Wikipedia ^fi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis, “fortified town; city state”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpolis/, [ˈpo̞lis̠]
• Rhymes: -olis
• Syllabification^(key): po‧lis
• Hyphenation^(key): po‧lis

Noun

polis

1. (historical) polis; Greek city-state

   Hypernym: kaupunkivaltio (“city-state”)

   • 2011, Paavo Castrén, Uusi antiikin historia, Otava, page 117:

     Kreikkalainen polis tuli sekä etruski- että latinalaisten yhteisöjen esikuvaksi – –.

     The Greek polis came to be a role model for Estruscan and Latin communities alike – –

Declension

Inflection of polis (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		polis	polikset
genitive		poliksen	polisten poliksien
partitive		polista	poliksia
illative		polikseen	poliksiin
		singular	plural
nominative		polis	polikset
accusative	nom.	polis	polikset
	gen.	poliksen
genitive		poliksen	polisten poliksien
partitive		polista	poliksia
inessive		poliksessa	poliksissa
elative		poliksesta	poliksista
illative		polikseen	poliksiin
adessive		poliksella	poliksilla
ablative		polikselta	poliksilta
allative		polikselle	poliksille
essive		poliksena	poliksina
translative		polikseksi	poliksiksi
abessive		poliksetta	poliksitta
instructive		—	poliksin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of polis (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative polikseni polikseni accusative nom. polikseni polikseni gen. polikseni genitive polikseni polisteni poliksieni partitive polistani poliksiani inessive poliksessani poliksissani elative poliksestani poliksistani illative polikseeni poliksiini adessive poliksellani poliksillani ablative polikseltani poliksiltani allative polikselleni poliksilleni essive poliksenani poliksinani translative poliksekseni poliksikseni abessive poliksettani poliksittani instructive — — comitative — poliksineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative poliksesi poliksesi accusative nom. poliksesi poliksesi gen. poliksesi genitive poliksesi polistesi poliksiesi partitive polistasi poliksiasi inessive poliksessasi poliksissasi elative poliksestasi poliksistasi illative polikseesi poliksiisi adessive poliksellasi poliksillasi ablative polikseltasi poliksiltasi allative poliksellesi poliksillesi essive poliksenasi poliksinasi translative polikseksesi poliksiksesi abessive poliksettasi poliksittasi instructive — — comitative — poliksinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative poliksemme poliksemme accusative nom. poliksemme poliksemme gen. poliksemme genitive poliksemme polistemme poliksiemme partitive polistamme poliksiamme inessive poliksessamme poliksissamme elative poliksestamme poliksistamme illative polikseemme poliksiimme adessive poliksellamme poliksillamme ablative polikseltamme poliksiltamme allative poliksellemme poliksillemme essive poliksenamme poliksinamme translative polikseksemme poliksiksemme abessive poliksettamme poliksittamme instructive — — comitative — poliksinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative poliksenne poliksenne accusative nom. poliksenne poliksenne gen. poliksenne genitive poliksenne polistenne poliksienne partitive polistanne poliksianne inessive poliksessanne poliksissanne elative poliksestanne poliksistanne illative polikseenne poliksiinne adessive poliksellanne poliksillanne ablative polikseltanne poliksiltanne allative poliksellenne poliksillenne essive poliksenanne poliksinanne translative polikseksenne poliksiksenne abessive poliksettanne poliksittanne instructive — — comitative — poliksinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative poliksensa poliksensa accusative nom. poliksensa poliksensa gen. poliksensa genitive poliksensa polistensa poliksiensa partitive polistaan polistansa poliksiaan poliksiansa inessive poliksessaan poliksessansa poliksissaan poliksissansa elative poliksestaan poliksestansa poliksistaan poliksistansa illative polikseensa poliksiinsa adessive poliksellaan poliksellansa poliksillaan poliksillansa ablative polikseltaan polikseltansa poliksiltaan poliksiltansa allative polikselleen poliksellensa poliksilleen poliksillensa essive poliksenaan poliksenansa poliksinaan poliksinansa translative poliksekseen polikseksensa poliksikseen poliksiksensa abessive poliksettaan poliksettansa poliksittaan poliksittansa instructive — — comitative — poliksineen poliksinensa

Related terms

• -polis
• politiikka

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Brétigny-sur-Orge)):

  (file)

Verb

polis

1. inflection of polir:
   1. first/second-person singular present indicative
   2. first/second-person singular past historic
   3. second-person singular imperative

Participle

polis m pl

1. masculine plural of poli

Adjective

polis

1. masculine plural of poli

Anagrams

• poils

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French police.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /polis/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

polis

1. police officer

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:

polis

Wikipedia ^id

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈpolis/ [ˈpo.lɪs]
• Rhymes: -olis
• Syllabification: po‧lis

Etymology 1

From Dutch polis (“insurance policy”), from French police (“policy”), from Italian polizza, from Ancient Greek ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis, “proof”). Compare to Malay polisi (“policy”).

Noun

polis (plural polis-polis)

1. insurance policy

Derived terms

• berpolis

Derived terms

• polis angsuran
• polis anuitas
• polis asuransi
• polis asuransi jiwa permanen
• polis bernilai
• polis kombinasi
• polis kumpulan
• polis lunas
• polis pajak warisan
• polis par
• polis penyertaan
• polis perjalanan
• polis proteksi ganda
• polis risiko tinggi
• polis terbatas
• polis terbayar penuh
• polis terbuka

Etymology 2

Noun

polis (plural polis-polis)

1. nonstandard form of poles

Usage notes

• The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian. The Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore usage can be seen in Malay polis.

Further reading

• “polis”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Latin

Noun

polīs

1. dative/ablative plural of polus

References

• "polis", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “polis”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “polis”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray
• “polis”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly