Taken from :
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Anarchist_FAQ/What_is_Anarchism%3F/1.1
A.1.1 What does "anarchy" mean?
The word "anarchy" is from the Greek, prefix an (or a), meaning "not," "the want of," "the absence of," or "the lack of", plus archos, meaning "a ruler," "director", "chief," "person in charge," or "authority." Or, as Peter Kropotkin put it, Anarchy comes from the Greek words meaning "contrary to authority." [1]
The use of the term anarchy in English and perhaps other languages goes may go back farther than the 11th century at least prior to “the anarchy” civil war between England and Normandy which was characterized by a breakdown in law and order. It anarchy and the link to chaos could go farther back didn’t research enough.
“The term anarchist first entered the English language in 1642 (Before Anarchism existed) during the English Civil War as a term of abuse used by Royalists to damn those who were fomenting disorder. Just a play on the original word incorporated into the English (perhaps other languages) that were collectively agreed to without a bias of a certain class or political groups any sort as synonymous with chaos and disorder. For a number of good reasons
Before any movement took places for 100’s of years anarchy has meant without authority. Meaning anarchism or any communal leaderless organization without any authority or ruler is NOT mentioned. It can hold anarchism (which didn’t exist at this time) and other forms of similar organizations but does not define, elaborate or support them in any way.
But there is a set of rules to followed with anarchism in a social contract. i'm sorry if you agree to it than there are repercussions if you don't abide by the rules.
Secondly “leaderless” communal groups or Anarchism groups shift authority and ruler ship from the state elite and place it into the contract or non-hierarchal group power that is held in a contract ( set of rules) of extreme equality, self-sacrifice, strict contribution and self order in various fields of conduct, work and reliance (or whatever core set anarchist ethics and principals you believe in ) for each member to uphold to maintain it, acting out as the authority or ruler under a different non-threatening guise without similar repercussions of the prior system. Maybe this is 100 % fine and workable, and I know anarchism obviously advocates a rule system, but still has AUTHORITY and the contract acts a RULER (to kick you out, deprive you of your role, register your bad actions, collectively punish you accordingly and fairly) but please realize this is not only not mentioned but contradicts the pure nature in the original definition of (without authority or rulers) and anarchism as you know it is an invention 100’s year’s later that came around in an era where political theories were being formed. It seems that anarchism took the word to make it workable or defined into a political theory which inevitably works to sustain a system. It still maintains authority and rule out those who fall back into capitalistic desires or things that coincide with what anarchism is and is not.
Without ruler or authority in a state, system, tribe implies chaos (authority = government, ruler = set of rules) meaning thriving disorder in a given piece of land or prior country which runs on who ever can manage to survive or a maintain a positive hedonistic existence in the laws of the jungle under risk, changing circumstance, extreme danger and violence, clashing power among individuals and groups which maintain themselves under the intention of ability to achieve greater unrestrained freedom, than with any system, if they are able to maintain themselves and their anarchy. Morals are an option not a must. As harmony is not want it necessary needed. So a lot of elements of crimecore, illegalism, egoism ( both elaborated within sects of of older anarchism) and other things that could or would sustain chaos alongside an economic system and safeguarding of certain individuals or gorups would allow it to thrive.
This is just a theortical proposition of the base idea of collective chaos anarchy . But chaos is also explaination for the way things are by some as well.
Its causes: economic or natural major disasters, revolutionaries taking down governments or dictatorships, countries or lands that lack any government, certain ancient or prehistoric history before governments or larger tribal orders.
Anarchism is implying rules and a system with consequence and principals which is where it differs.
Did I ever deny what basic anarch(ism) is here or not mention briefly what it is? Or say is it chaos when is obviously is NOT?
"Which contrary seem to have a common element of wanting to sustain an organized political system based on unwritten laws of equality and collective self-autonomy, from any kind of literal leadership. It sides with extreme leftist political action and/or lifestylism."
If someone stands for anarchism and fails to understand that is and always after the creation of anarchism a double meaning (second to the anarchy as related to anarchism) as a word and definition which has evolved from its ancient roots and or been implied as chaos. That has been used a descriptive term, officially recognized by the dictionary, in literary works, films, speech etc... for over 200 years Not only are you in denial of this word and definition only but you are denying that is an active word for such a term which exists in the real world. This seems to be a shared and under studied ignorance and pathology by many well-educated anarchists today.
Also you fail to recognize that chaos (not necessarily destructive) is the overriding order of anarchy without any intent or practice of any pre-planned system (capitalism, anarchism, communism, etc...)
Chaotic tendancies not only show up in self-governance but in a lot of things.
general systems of governance, as not perfect do show signs of chaotic behavior NOT CHAOS which unrelated to imposed force or violence.
Just as a system of anarchism contains a fair of loose bolts (chaotic behavior as a result of the peer pressure associated with the power of the people or central unions akin to state power, but much less in literal rules and fear tactics, to that of current state power NOT CHAOS) as a by-product it will appear from those that fall out, want to change or can't live up to the the balance of self-order and communal peace and anarchist ethics.