Mmm, here’s what I got on first checking a couple of online resources:
Main Entry:
po•lit•i•cizePronunciation: p&-'li-t&-"sIz
Function:
transitive verbInflected Form(s): -cized; -ciz•ing
Date: 1846
: to give a political tone or character to <an attempt to
politicize the civil service>
- po•lit•i•ci•za•tion -"li-t&-s&-'zA-sh&n/ noun
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=politicizationpolicy (1) - "way of management," c.1385, from O.Fr. policie, from L. politia "the state," from Gk. politeia "state, administration, government, citizenship," from polites "citizen," from polis "city." Meaning "plan of action, way of management" first recorded c.1406.
politic (adj.) - 1427, from L. politicus "of citizens or the state, civil, civic," from Gk. politikos "of citizens or the state," from polites "citizen," from polis "city," from PIE *p(o)lH- (Skt. pur "city," Lith. pilis "fortress") "enclosed space, often on high ground." Replaced in most senses by political (1551). The verb is 1917, a back-formation from politics. Politician is 1588; politics is 1529, modeled on Aristotle's ta politika "affairs of state," the name of his book on governing and governments, which was in Eng. 1450 as "Polettiques." Politically correct first attested 1970; abbreviation P.C. is from 1986.
politico - 1630, from It. or Sp. politico, noun use of adj. meaning "political," from L. politicus (see politic).
polity - 1538, from L.L. polita "organized government" (see policy).
http://www.etymonline.com/p7etym.htmSo it looks from recorded data that
policy was indeed an early bird, with both
polity and
political arriving a bit later. Subsequent coinages and back formations are clearly much later.
Does OEDipus offer any further inslight, Rex?
OP
