The extensive number of words in the English language makes it nearly impossible for any one person to learn them all. The average person says anywhere from 13,000 to 20,000 words per day. But do we truly understand all of these words to their full meaning? The answer is most likely not. Take the word society, for example. Upon hearing this word, a picture begins to form in your mind of what it means. But what isn’t taken in to consideration is the origin of the word, alternate meanings of it, or connotations that are often associated with the word; all of which are extremely important to understanding a term.
Knowing the origin of a word is essential to understanding it. The word society originates from “societatem,” a Latin word meaning fellowship, association, alliance, union, or community. It is also derived from the term “societe” which comes from Old French in the 1530s and is defined as a friendly association with others. In the 1540s, it began to represent specific groups or clubs, modern examples would be the American Cancer Society or the National Honor Society. The word society in the 1630s indicated the specific neighborhood in which you lived. Later in history, around 1823, the term was associated with those of
…show more content…
It means “an organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.” But despite this literal definition, society can have other meanings as well depending on how you view it. Sociologists often define society as the complex interactions amongst people rather than the people themselves. They believe that society isn’t composed of the individuals, but by the way in which the individuals are related. In this sociological sense, society is an abstract concept where the more common definition is more concrete. Both definitions are accurate, depending on what position society is being viewed