Cultural
/ˈkʌl.tʃər.əl/noun
Relating to the ideas, customs, arts, and social behavior of a society.
Did you know?Cultural ultimately comes from the same Latin root as *cult* and *agriculture*, because *colere* meant to till, tend, inhabit, and even worship—linking farming, religion, and civilization in one ancient idea.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to drive, spur, or set in motion”
Latin
Latin
colere
“to till, cultivate, inhabit, tend, or worship”
Latin
Latin
cultura
“cultivation; care; refinement”
Old French
Old French
culture
“cultivation; tilling of land”
Late Middle English
English
cultur(e)
“cultivation of the land; later, the cultivation of the mind”
Modern English
English
cultural
“relating to culture or the customs and arts of a society”