According to some scholars, the words are derived from the Doric word  (), which originally meant "wall," "fence for animals" and later "assembly within the limits of the square."
ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə sˌʌm skˈɑːlɚz, ðə wˈɜːdz ɑːɹ dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌmðə dˈoːɹɪk wˈɜːd, wˌɪtʃ ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli mˈɛnt "wˈɔːl," "fˈɛns fɔːɹ ˈænɪməlz" ænd lˈeɪɾɚ "ɐsˈɛmbli wɪðˌɪn ðə lˈɪmɪts ʌvðə skwˈɛɹ."