peopleyoudaoicibaDictYouDict[people 词源字典]
people: [13] People is one of a large family of English words (including also popular and public) descended from Latin populus ‘people’. Its spelling and pronunciation are due to its route of entry into English, via Anglo-Norman poeple, people and Old French pueple, pople rather than direct from Latin.
=> popular, population, public[people etymology, people origin, 英语词源]
people (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
late 13c., "humans, persons in general," from Anglo-French people, Old French peupel "people, population, crowd; mankind, humanity," from Latin populus "a people, nation; body of citizens; a multitude, crowd, throng," of unknown origin, possibly from Etruscan. The Latin word also is the source of Spanish pueblo, Italian popolo. In English, it displaced native folk.

Meaning "body of persons comprising a community" first recorded late 13c. in Anglo-French; meaning "common people, masses" (as distinguished from the nobility) first recorded c. 1300 in Anglo-French. Meaning "one's own tribe, group, etc." is from late 14c. The word was adopted after c. 1920 by Communist totalitarian states to give a spurious sense of populism to their governments. Legal phrase The People vs., in U.S. cases of prosecution under certain laws, dates from 1801. People of the Book "those whose religion entails adherence to a book of divine revelation (1834) translates Arabic Ahl al-Kitab.
people (v.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
late 15c. (intransitive), c. 1500 (transitive), from people (n.), or else from Middle French peupler, from Old French peuple. Related: Peopled; peopling.