Follow “vulgar” through time. Which part surprised you? #words #vocabulary
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A WORD’S STORY: Where did “vulgar” come from?. Meaning: Lacking refinement or cultivation or taste. Swipe to see how it got that meaning.
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WHERE IT BEGAN: First, the origin of “vulgar”. Vulgar comes from Latin vulgaris, belonging to the common people, from vulgus, the multitude or crowd. Early English senses included common, ordinary, and generally used.
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THE CONNECTION: Here’s the connection. Elite judgments turned association with ordinary people into a judgment of low breeding or taste, then coarseness and obscenity. In Vulgar Latin, the older sense remains: popular everyday Latin rather than swear-filled Latin.
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NOW YOU KNOW: “vulgar”. Say it: /ˈvʌl.ɡə/ Meaning: Lacking refinement or cultivation or taste. Try five words in the free daily game: lexifour.com. Follow for another word story.