late 14c., "ancient Roman settlement outside Italy," from Latin colonia "settled land, farm, landed estate," from colonus "husbandman, tenant farmer, settler in new land," from colere "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect," from PIE root *kwel- (1) "move around" (source of Latin -cola "inhabitant;" see cycle, n.). Also used by the Romans to translate Greek apoikia "people from home." Modern application dates from 1540s.