normalcy

The word "normalcy" is built upon the Latin root norma, which originally referred to a carpenter's square—a tool for establishing right angles and, by extension, a standard or rule. The suffix -alis was added to form the adjective "normal," meaning "conforming to a standard." In the early 19th century, the further addition of the abstract noun suffix -cy (from Latin -tia) created "normalcy," denoting the state or condition of being normal. While "normality" is the more common form derived via French, "normalcy" entered widespread usage in American English after President Warren G. Harding's 1920 campaign for a "return to normalcy" following World War I, cementing its place in the language as a synonym for a state of customary order and stability.