The regional ethnic groups, or "pagi" as the Romans called them (singular: "pagus"; the French word "pays", "region" more accurate translation is 'country', comes from this term), were organized into larger multi-clan groups, which the Romans called "civitates". These administrative groupings would be taken over by the Romans in their system of local control, and these "civitates" would also be the basis of France's eventual division into ecclesiastical bishoprics and dioceses, which would remain in place—with slight changes—until the French Revolution.