Autonomies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or condition of being self-governing and independent; the rights or powers granted to entities to manage their own affairs; a form of political organization where local units exercise control over their own policies and regulations
2. A situation in which individuals or groups have the ability to govern themselves without external interference; the legal authority or privileges assigned to various regions to operate independently; a structure that allows for decentralized decision-making and local governance
3. Conditions in which communities or regions possess the authority to regulate their own internal matters; the capacity for groups to make independent choices in political or administrative contexts; a system promoting local self-rule and operational independence

Etymology: "Autonomies" is simply the plural of "autonomy", so the story belongs to that noun. It was borrowed into English from Ancient Greek "autonomia", which meant freedom to live under one's own laws. That Greek word was built from "autonomos", meaning living under one's own laws or independent, combined with a nominal suffix equivalent to the English "-y" or "-ia". The parts are transparent. "Auto-" means "self", the same element found in "automobile" and "autograph", and the "-nomy" element comes from "nomos", a system of rules or laws. The Greek "nomos" itself derives from "nemein", to distribute or manage, so the core idea is a self who sets the rules. The plural form "autonomies" simply counts separate instances of that condition, which is why it is used for self-governing states or regions.