1620s, "fact of having a place," from French localité (16c.), from Late Latin localitatem (nominative localitas) "locality" (as a quality of bodies), from localis "belonging to a place, pertaining to a place," from Latin locus "a place, spot" (see locus). Meaning "a geographical place or district" is from 1830.

1803, "attachment to a particular locality," from local (adj.) + -ism. Always tending toward "limitation through local attachment, provincialism." Meaning "something (especially a way of speech) characteristic of a particular locality" is from 1823.

"free from limitations of locality," 1839, from de- "do the opposite of" + localize. Related: Delocalized; delocalizing.

(plural loci), 1715, "place, spot, locality," from Latin locus "a place, spot; appointed place, position; locality, region, country; degree, rank, order; topic, subject," from Old Latin stlocus, a word of uncertain origin. Used by Latin writers for Greek topos. Mathematical sense by 1750.

"the name of a place or locality," by 1868, from place (n.) + name (n.).

1530s, "locality where mining is carried on," verbal noun from dig (v.). Diggings, colloquial for "lodgings, quarters" is by 1838.

1816, false spelling of local in a sense "a place, a locality, a scene," especially with reference to circumstances connected with it, from this sense in French local, noun use of local (adj.), from Latin locus "a place" (see locus). The English spelling with -e probably is based on morale and intended to indicate stress.

The word's right to exist depends upon the question whether the two indispensable words locality & scene give all the shades of meaning required, or whether something intermediate is useful. [Fowler]

also nonresident, early 15c., "a clergyman who fails to reside in the locality of his benefice," from non- + resident. General sense of "one who does not reside within a particular jurisdiction" is by 1819.

"obsession with the problems of one's locality and consequent failure to see big pictures," 1943, U.S. World War II jargon, originally of military strategists, from local (adj.) + transferred use of medical suffix -itis.

"particular to a people or locality," 1650s (endemical), with -ic + Greek endemos "native, dwelling in (a place), of or belonging to a people," from en "in" (see en- (2)) + dēmos "people; district" (see demotic). From 1660s as a noun.