cronyism (n.)

"old familiar friend, intimate companion," 1660s, chrony, Cambridge student slang, probably from Greek khronios "long-lasting," from khronos "time" (see chrono-), on the notion of "old friend" or "a contemporary."

word-forming element making nouns implying a practice, system, doctrine, etc., from French -isme or directly from Latin -isma, -ismus (source also of Italian, Spanish -ismo, Dutch, German -ismus), from Greek -ismos, noun ending signifying the practice or teaching of a thing, from the stem of verbs in -izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which it is attached. For distinction of use, see -ity. The related Greek suffix -isma(t)- affects some forms.