community English · revision 3613

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1375 (Barbour's Bruce)|origins=la commūnis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /kəˈmjuː.nə.ti/, US /kəˈmjuː.nə.t̬i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|comunete]] (Scots [[m|enm|comminite]]),^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MW Collegiate) [[bor|fro|comuneté]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) later reshaped after its source [[la|commūnitās|t=fellowship, community]],^(COED 2004)^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986) from [[m|la|commūnis|t=common, shared by all]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) It is related to [[common]].^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A body of people: 1375, in John Barbour's ''The Bruce''.^(Barnhart 1988) Etymonline gives the late 14th century for “people living in the same place” and “the common people”, as opposed to the rulers and clergy.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The OED notes that Latin ''commūnitās'' was only a noun of quality, “fellowship”, and that the concrete sense “a society” arose in Medieval Latin.^(Etymonline) An Old English word for the idea was [[m|ang|gemǣnscipe]].^(Etymonline) The inhabitants of a district have been a ''community'' since 1426.^(HTOED) “Common ownership or enjoyment” and “a group with common interests” date from about 1400,^(Etymonline) and “common character, likeness” from the 15th century^(Hoad 1986) or 1560.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1375 – a body of people (Barbour).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1400 – common ownership; a group with common interests.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1426 – the inhabitants of a district.^(HTOED)

+ * 1560 – likeness, common character.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A group of people living in one place under the same government, or the place itself.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A group of people with common interests: ''the scientific community''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Likeness or identity: ''community of interests''.^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+ # Sharing and [[fellowship]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Society as a whole; the public.^(AHD)

+ # ''(ecology)'' A group of plants and animals living together in one area.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[communital]]

+ * [[communitarian]]

+ * [[intercommunity]]

+ * [[subcommunity]]

+ * [[community chest]]

+ * [[community college]]

+ * [[community property]]

+ * [[community service]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[common]]

+ * [[commonalty]]

+ * [[communal]]

+ * [[commune]]

+ * [[communication]]

+ * [[communism]]

+ * [[communist]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}