English
culture
Culture comes from Middle French culture, from Latin cultūra ‘cultivation’, from cultus, participle of colō ‘to till’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷelh₁-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷélh₁etireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷelō‘to inhabit’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolō‘to till, cultivate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcultus‘tilled, cultivated’perfect passive participle of colō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcultūra‘cultivation’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600culture‘cultivation; culture’
- Englishearliest quotation 1882culture
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷelh₁-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷélh₁etireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷelō‘to inhabit’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolō‘to till, cultivate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcultus‘tilled, cultivated’perfect passive participle of colō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcultūra‘cultivation’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600culture‘cultivation; culture’
- Englishearliest quotation 1882culture
Earliest quotation: 1882, Matthew Arnold, Sweetness and Light: “I condemn neither way; but culture works differently. It…”
Linked words
through Latin colō ‘till, cultivate, to grow, worship’
colony, cultivation, cultivate, coulee, 72 more
through Latin cultūra ‘cultivation’
Today it means
noun The arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and habits that characterize humankind, or a particular society or nation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- / culture