Etymology Map
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Culture

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the arts and customs of a society

Where does the word "culture" come from? It comes from Latin colere, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
colere
Latin · ancient
"to tend, cultivate"
the root of 'colony' and 'cult'
2
Stage 2 of 3
culture
Old French · medieval
"tilling"
the cultivation of land
3
Stage 3 of 3
culture
English · 1400s
"tilling"
the sense 'refinement of mind' dates from the 1500s; 'culture' of a society from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Culture’s story begins in Latin: colere meant “to tend, cultivate.” The root of 'colony' and 'cult'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as culture. The cultivation of land. It reached English by 1400s as culture. The sense 'refinement of mind' dates from the 1500s; 'culture' of a society from the 1800s. Today, culture means the arts and customs of a society.