1387, from L.
civilis "of or proper to a citizen," alternate adj. derivation of
civis "townsman" (see
city). The sense of "polite" was in the L., from the courteous manners of citizens, as opposed to those of soldiers. But Eng. did not pick up this nuance of the word until 1606, though
civility dates from c.1384. "
Courteous is thus more commonly said of superiors,
civil of inferiors, since it implies or suggests the possibility of incivility or rudeness" [OED].
Civil war "battles among fellow citizens or within a community" first recorded 1387 (in England, the 17c. struggle between Parliament and Charles I; in U.S., the War of Secession, 1861-1865).
Civil rights is from 1721, specifically of black U.S. citizens from 1866;
civil liberty is from 1788.
Civil disobedience coined 1866 by Thoreau as title of an essay originally published (1849) as "Resistance to Civil Government."
Civil Service originally c.1785, in ref. to the non-military branch of the East India Company.
[siv-uh
l] 
