civilian
suh-VIL-yuhn · noun
Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish
Origin
Civilian comes from Middle English cyvylien, borrowed from Old French civilien, which is simply civil plus the suffix -ian.
Journey
The facts available don't trace a shift in meaning beyond its formation — it entered English already carrying its civil/-ian shape.
Related words
It shares its root with civil itself, since civilian is built directly from that word plus -ian.