Class
/klæs/noun
A group or category of people or things sharing common characteristics; also, a social rank or a school group.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *classis*, which originally meant a fleet or division of the Roman people, showing how language can turn military organization into social hierarchy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to call, summon, cry out”
Latin
Latin
classis
“a division of the Roman people; a fleet or naval levy”
Late Latin
Latin
classis
“a division, rank, or order”
Old French
Old French
classe
“a class, rank, or category”
16th Century
English
class
“a rank, order, or division of people or things”
Modern English
English
class
“a group, category, or school division”