social English · revision 2327

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1387 (Trevisa)|origins=la socius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈsəʊ.ʃᵊl/, US /ˈsoʊ.ʃᵊl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|sociale]], [[bor|frm|social]] and directly [[bor|la|sociālis|t=of companions or allies, living with others]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[m|la|socius|t=companion, ally]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(Klein 1966) ''Socius'' probably first meant “follower”: Etymonline derives it from [[ine-pro|*sokʷ-yo-]], a suffixed form of [[m|ine-pro|*sekʷ-|t=to follow]], the root of [[la|sequī|t=to follow]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) Old English [[m|ang|secg|t=companion, man]] and Old Norse [[m|non|seggr]] seem to have been formed on the same idea.^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Domestic, devoted to home life: before 1387, in Trevisa's translation of Higden's ''Polychronicon''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 1560s ''social'' came to mean “living with others”,^(Etymonline) and the OED records “capable of being associated with others” in 1562.^(OED 1989) Milton's ''Paradise Lost'' (1667) has the sense “marked by companionship or friendliness”,^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) and since 1722 it has meant “living or liking to live in communities”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) Locke used it of society as a natural human state by 1695.^(Etymonline) Of a war between allies it is recorded from 1665, and the ''Social War'' of Rome against its Italian allies from 1765.^(OED 1989) From 1873 it was used of fashionable society.^(OED 1989) The 18th century brought ''social contract'' (1763, from translations of Rousseau) and ''social science'' (1785).^(Etymonline) Recent compounds include ''social butterfly'' (1867), ''social network'' (1971), ''social networking'' (1984) and ''social media'' (2008).^(Etymonline) As a noun, ''social'' meant “a companion” in 1632 according to Barnhart^(Barnhart 1988) (the late 17th century according to Etymonline),^(Etymonline) and “an informal gathering” from 1870.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1387 – domestic (Trevisa).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1560s – living with others.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1632 – noun, a companion.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1667 – friendly, companionable (''Paradise Lost'').^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1695 – of society (Locke).^(Etymonline)

+ * 1722 – living in communities.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1763 – ''social contract''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1785 – ''social science''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1870 – noun, an informal gathering.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1873 – of fashionable society.^(OED 1989)

+ * 2008 – ''social media''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Relating to human [[society]] and the way it is organized.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Living together in organized groups or communities, as some [[insect|alt=insects]] do.^(AHD)

+ # Fond of the company of others; [[sociable]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Spent in or marked by friendly relations with others: ''a social evening''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Relating to the [[fashionable]] or upper classes.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # ''(history)'' Involving allies or members of a [[confederacy]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An informal social gathering, for example of members of a church.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[socially]]

+ * [[socialness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sociality]]

+ * [[societal]]

+ * [[society]]

+ * [[sociable]]

+ * [[associate]]

+ * [[socialism]]

+ * [[sequel]]

+ * [[sue]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The AHD compares ''social'', ''companionable'', ''convivial'', ''gregarious'' and ''sociable'', all meaning inclined to or marked by friendly company.^(AHD) ''Convivial'' suggests the pleasure of eating and drinking together, and ''gregarious'' a person who avoids being alone.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}