Unit 2 Word Study: Rural Settings in North America

RuralSynonyms: Rustic, Pastoral

• Part of speech: adjective• Definition: of or relating to

the country, country people or life, or agriculture

• Etymology: early 15c., from Old French rural (14c.), from Latin ruralis "of the countryside," from rus (genitive ruris) "open land, country," from PIE *reue- "to open; space"

AgrarianSynonyms: Rural, Agricultural

• Part of speech: adjective• Definition:

relating to land, land tenure, or the division of landed property: agrarian laws.  Pertaining to the advancement of agricultural groups: an agrarian movement. Composed of or pertaining to farmers: an agrarian co-op. Growing in fields; wild: an agrarian plant.

AgrarianSynonyms: Rural, Agricultural

• 1610s, "relating to the land," from Middle French loy agrarienne "agrarian law," from Latin Lex agraria, the Roman law for the division of conquered lands, from agrarius "of the land," from ager (genitive agri) "a field," from PIE *agro- (cf. Greek agros "field," Gothic akrs, Old English æcer "field;" see acre).

AgricultureSynonyms: Cultivation, Horticulture

• Part of speech: noun• Definition: the science, art, or

occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming. The production of crops, livestock, or poultry

• Etymology: mid-15c., from Late Latin agricultura "cultivation of the land," compound of agri cultura "cultivation of land," from agri, genitive ofager "a field" (see acre) + cultura "cultivation" (see culture (n.))

HamletSynonyms: Community, Small Village

• Part of speech: noun• Definition: a small village.

British . a village without a church of its own, belonging to the parish of another village or town.

• Etymology: early 14c., from Old French hamelet, diminutive of hamel "village," itself a diminutive of ham "village," from Frankish *haim (see home). Especially a village without a church.

CountrySynonyms: Rustic, Agrarian

• Part of speech: adjective• Definition: of or relating to

the country, country people or life

• Etymology: mid-13c., "district, native land," from Old French contree, from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrata "(land) lying opposite," or "(land) spread before one," from Latin contra "opposite, against" (see contra-).

VillageSynonyms: Small town, hamlet

• Part of speech: noun• Definition: a

small community or group of houses in a rural area, larger than a hamlet and usually smaller than a town, and sometimes (as in parts of the U.S.) incorporated as a municipality. The inhabitants of such a community collectively. A group of animal dwellings resembling a village.

• Etymology: late 14c., "inhabited place larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town," from Old French village "houses and other buildings in a group" (usually smaller than a town), from Latin villaticum "farmstead" (with outbuildings), noun use of neuter singular of villaticus "having to do with a farmstead or villa," from villa "country house"

CountrysideSynonyms: Rural, pastoral

• Part of speech: noun• Definition:

a particular section of a country, especially a rural section

• Etymology: mid-15c., literally "one side of a country" (a valley, a mountain range, etc.), from country + side (n.); hence, "any tract of land having a natural unity" (1727).

RusticSynonyms: Picturesque, Pastoral

• Part of speech: adjective• Definition:

pertaining to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural. Simple, artless, or unsophisticated. A particular section of a country, especially a rural section

• Etymology: 1530s, from Middle French rusticite (15c.), from Latin rusticitatem (nominative rusticitas) "country life," from rusticus