Etymology of Civic

Found in Latin as civĭcus, built on civis, which refers to the ‘citizen’, followed by the suffix -ic, in association with the Latin component -icus, in terms of relationship, thus encompassing all issues that interest and respond to the functioning and social coexistence, individual rights and responsibilities, guided by the legal system and projected in the organization of the state structure.

Education gets its origin from the Latin educatio, associated to the verb educāre, interpreted as ‘educate’ or ‘nurture,’ from educere, in allusion to ‘guiding’, forged by the prefix ex-, reflecting an external perspective, and ducĕre, from the Indo-European *deuk-, for’ leading’. Thus, ‘civic education’ is established.

Within the education system, students are taught about civic order, in relation to the individual commitment to society, each playing their role in a harmonious and safe ecosystem, which must, however, be protected by the competent authorities. As a member of a community, you must know the rules in force because ignorance does not free you from responsibility for the actions committed.

Derived from the linguistic nucleus we find: ‘city’ (seen in the Latin civĭtas), ‘civil’ (in the Latin word civīlis), or ‘civism’, with reference in the French civisme, formed by civis and the suffix -isme, that acts like -ism in English, defining a social system or practice.

Search a Word