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Today it means

stratum

a layer of rock; a social level

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Where does the word "stratum" come from? It comes from Latin stratum, and was adopted directly into English (1590s).

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Where does the word "stratum" come from? It comes from Latin stratum, and was adopted directly into English (1590s).

Stratum’s story begins in Latin: stratum meant “something spread.” From 'sternere', to spread. It reached English by 1590s as stratum. 'social strata' dates from the 1800s. Today, stratum means a layer of rock; a social level.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient stratum "something spread", from 'sternere', to spread.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1590s stratum "layer", 'social strata' dates from the 1800s.

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