metic
1
9.9
A foreign resident in ancient Greek cities who paid a tax but had no citizenship rights
- noun
- /ˈmɛtɪk/
- Archaic
:
mético
- Some metics were important artisans who provided valuable skills to the city-state.
Examples
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In ancient Athens, a metic was required to pay a tax to live there without being a full citizen.
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Many metics contributed to the economy of Athens by engaging in trade and commerce.
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We say in English a metic meaning a resident alien, never to be a citizen.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Metic comes from the Greek metoikos, made of meta- 'among' and oikos 'house', so it originally meant a person who lived 'among the houses' of a city. That's why a metic in ancient Greece was a foreign resident who could live and work there but did not have full citizenship and often paid a special tax.