publicus

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Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈpuː.blɪ.kʊs]

From Old Latin poplicus, from Old Latin poplus, which became Latin populus (“the people”), ultimately from Proto-Italic *poplos (“army”), of unknown origin. The change from -ŏp- to -ūb- is traditionally explained as paronymic attraction to pūbēs (“adult population; puberty; genitals”). An alternative explanation is that it is a regular sound change, divisible into two steps: voicing of -p-, then breaking of -o- to -ou- (subsequently monophthongized to -ū-).