“The True Meaning of Family”
The word “Family” is a noun and is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary “a group of people consisting of one set of parents and their children, whether living together or not. In wider sense: any group of people connected by blood, marriage, adoption, etc. Also: a pair of animals and their young” (OED). According to its etymology the word family originated from the Latin word Familia. The first usage of the word family was in 1484 Caxton tr. Subtyl Historyes & Fables Esope iii. xi. f. lxv,. The word was actual spelled as Famylle. A fader of famylle, whiche had a sone the whiche dyd no thynge that he oughte to haue done”. (OED) The spelling of the word changed in 1667 Milton Paradise Lost x. 216 As Father of his Familie he clad Thir nakedness (OED). The spelling of the word finally in 2001 and it was used in Guardian 6 Apr. and it stated “Long-distance phone calls were almost a vulgarity, save for the occasion of reporting a birth or death in the family” (OED).
While most people identify the word family as blood related, family can be more complex it could mean close friends, pets or even teammates or coworkers. The most popular view on the word family according to Urban Dictionary was “A bunch of people who hate each other and eat dinner together”. Now although that is somewhat true I found another definition in
Urban Dictionary that defined family “as being three types of family categories, the family you’re born into, the family you
Family used to be a single unit, consisting of a husband, wife and children. This unit was widely thought as a group based on marriage and biological parenthood as sharing a common residence and
One of many interpretations of the word ‘family’
According to the Dictionary of Contemporary English, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, formed by a father, a mother and children. On the other
I define family by a group of people that communicate on regular basic, care for each other, and love each other unconditionally. I think that I was able to construct that definition when I realized that my “relatives” weren’t related to me at all. And then realized I talk to the people who I was related to all more than the people who were considered “blood”. I’ve never been to a family house where I have considered them perfect, every family has their personal issues as well as their own strength.
Family is typically seen as something that is defined by genetics and the idea that blood is what makes a family. This could not be less true. In today’s society family should not be defined by the blood that runs through your veins or your last name, it should be the amount of love that exudes from your heart. Whether you were born into a family, adopted or in the foster care system, your family members are the ones who you share moments of love and joy with, not just a last name.
Family means a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household who can be blood related. Sometimes the word family does not consist of the same diction definition. One may say that family don’t always have to be living in the same house hold. Others may argue that in order to be a family they have to love each other, and support one another. In the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, discus family as a different convocational meaning.
Family. A word that has about as many meanings as there are stars in the sky. Can family truly be defined, or is it merely interpretive? According to Seccombe, family is a relationship by blood, marriage, or affection, in which members may cooperate economically, may care for children, and may consider their identity to be intimately connected to the larger group (Seccombe 4). Although I do agree with the above explanation of family, I believe that it is inadequate in that it only supplies a framework of family rather than the duties and purpose. To me, family is a unit of individuals, related or not, that symbolize and exude comfort, solace, and support through all the trials and triumphs life throws our way.
For over centuries, the term family has been specifically used to mean a group of people that consist of two parents and their children. The word is originally from the Latin word Familia, which means household or family. Although this word is known all over the world, it can have a different context to each person. In the United States alone, family can be referred to two adults and their children, a single-parent household, extended relatives, and a structure of more than two parents. Despite how the family structure may look like within a household, it plays a major role in life, either directly or indirectly.
“family” lacks a single formal definition, so the word can be defined in man ways.Family can
Webster’s dictionary defines a family as “a group of people sharing a common ancestry”. While some families, such as those with bank robbers, drug dealers or users, and mass murderers are notorious and other family members would like to forget about the non-conformers, most people take pride in their lineage. Ask almost anyone about their family and they will be sure to relate how many doctors, lawyers, congressmen, etc. they have in their bloodline. You will probably see a strong connection from generation to generation.
Family is what you make of it. It is who you are close to, who you have a connection to, even if you are not blood related. Family is people who you trust, people you can tell personal things to, or cry on their shoulder. I think everyone has an honorary family member(s). They are people who are always with you or someone you know very well.
The word family has changed so much in the past century. A family back in the 1950’s was probably considered a husband, wife, and one or more children. Times have changed and families have become much different. The Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others book defines family as a, “Unit made up of any number of persons who live in relationship with one another over time in a common living space who are usually, but not always, united by marriage and kinship” (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 243). Families can be broken up into five different types. The first is the traditional family, which includes a mother, father, and their biological children. Next, is the blended family which includes
There are many different definitions about what the family is. Different theoretical positions influence these variations. For example, the functionalist sociologist George Peter Murdock defines the family as “a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain
According to Swartz and Scott (2009), family is defined as a group of people related to each other by blood, marriage, adoption or being sexually open in a relationship. The
A family can be defined in many ways, but the common denominator in all is the love and fulfillment one gets by being surrounded by family members. Families can sometimes be at odds with each other, but the strain of this type of relationship usually creates an upsetting feeling to the people involved. People want others to rely on, talk to, do things with, share, love, embrace, and be part of. No matter what the family dynamic is the qualities the word family has will remain the same, as time goes by, and life evolves once again for every person living their