sociedad
/soθjeˈðað/ (Spain), /sosjeˈðað/ (Latin America)
noun
Origin
Latin
societas — fellowship, association, alliance, union
Overview
Meaning Now
- A group of people living together in a more or less ordered community.
- The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community; an organized community of people.
- A partnership or association of persons for a common purpose.
Literal older meaning
companionship or association
Language path
Latin → Old Spanish → Spanish
Earliest form
sociedad
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The term traces back to the Roman concept of 'societas', which was fundamentally a legal agreement between partners. Over time, it broadened in the Romance languages to encompass the entire collective structure of civilization.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
societas
“fellowship”
Derivative of socius (companion/ally).
- Vulgar Latin
societatem
“association”
Accusative form serving as the basis for Romance developments.
- Old Spanish
sociedad
“companionship”
Standardization of the suffix -dad from -tatem.
- Modern Spanish
sociedad
“society”
Connections
Word parts
soci-
root
companion/ally
-edad
suffix
state or condition
Related across languages
French
société
society
English
society
society
Italian
società
society
Explore next
Related to sociedad
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.