Definitions and etymology of culture

Definitions and etymology of the word Culture.

Definitions of culture (Dictionary of the Académie
9th edition)

Three main meanings at present: (I.) culture of the earth (II.) culture of the mind, and (III.) culture of a civilization.

Culture définition Sciences Po 2014
In the first sense, culture is the improvement of the natural environment.

I. A. Improvement of the natural environment by methodical work, with a view to drawing fruits from it.
B. Art, a particular way of cultivating.
C. (by analogy) The breeding of certain animals or the art of using certain natural products.
D. In biology, the deliberate and controlled development of microorganisms placed at a suitable temperature in a favorable nutrient medium.

II. A. Personal and methodical effort by which a person tends to increase his knowledge and to give his faculties their best use.
B. All the knowledge that one has acquired in one or more
fields.
C. (by analogy) Physical culture, set of exercises aiming at the harmonious development of the body.

III. under the etymological influence of the German Kultur and the Anglo-Saxon culture:
A. All the literary, artistic, artisanal, technical, scientific, moral and legal achievements,
laws, institutions, customs, traditions, ways of thinking and living, behaviors and uses of all kinds, rituals, myths and beliefs that constitute the collective heritage and personality of a country,
the collective heritage and personality of a country, a people or a group of peoples, a nation.

B. All the values, intellectual and artistic references common to a given group common to a given group; state of civilization of a human group.

The Etymology of the Word Culture

In Latin: color, color and spin culture: “to cultivate”,
to cultivate”, “to look after” gave culture meaning the culture of the earth, of the spirit, the cult. The Latin culture gave the word culture.
Twelfth century: culture: “cultivated land
Fifteenth century: also used in the sense of ‘action of honoring
17th century: ‘training of the mind through education
Nineteenth century: representations, ideological judgments, feelings and works of the mind that are transmitted within a human community.

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3 thoughts on “Definitions and etymology of culture

  1. @J.: Hello, Wikipedia is relevant for revising Sciences Po topics. For science and justice, the Wikipedia pages were well constructed and fairly well done. For the themes of culture and work, they are less so, but remain well done, you can judge for yourself. The data is reliable, although it is always better to deepen it with another source, trust the page notes, the references given at the end of the article, which are very good means of deepening and testing the reliability of the information. Overall the information is correct and reliable, and Wikipedia is a good tool. For the city topics, Wikipedia is pretty well done but short, and for the engagement topic, Wikipedia is very short and will not help you. Good day to you, and thank you for the loyalty,

  2. Actually I was wondering the same thing! I would like to know what you think please?

  3. I have a very silly question and not really related to culture, well no there is one: I was on Wikipedia for culture in fact, and I wondered what you thought of its use to study the contests and contemporary issues in general… whether it’s relevant or too unreliable… Thanks in advance!! 🙂 And thank you again for this site which is still great !!

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