Urbanity

Urbanity

Urbanity refers to the characteristics, personality traits, and viewpoints associated with cities and urban areas. People who can be described as having urbanity are also referred to as "citified". The word is related to the Latin "urbanitas" with connotations of refinement and elegance, the opposite of "rusticus", associated with the countryside. In Latin the word referred originally to the view of the world from ancient Rome. The name Urban has been taken as a papal name by nine popes and referred to the location of the Holy See at the Vatican in Rome and the pope's status as Bishop of Rome. "Urbane" has a similar meaning; "Oxford English Dictionary" notes that the relationship of "urbane" to "urban" is similar to the relationship "humane" bears to "human". [http://www.ablemedia.com/ctcweb/glossary/glossaryu.html]

In language, urbanity still connotes a smooth and literate style, free of barbarisms and other infelicities. In antiquity, schools of rhetoric flourished only in the atmosphere of large cities, to which privileged students flocked from smaller cities in order to gain polish.

Modern concepts of "urbanism"

*Lewis Mumford
*Henri Lefebvre

'Urbanity' as a word has also been used in recent years to describe the 'insanity' of urban life, as in the novel "Urbanity" by Francis Murphy.

ee also

*Urbanism
*City planning

References

* Lewis Mumford, "The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects"

External links

* [http://www.urbanity.50megs.com/History.htm Urbanity: a historical perspective]
* [http://www.esh.ed.ac.uk/urban_history/text/ThielemansS2.doc. Sixth International Conference on Urban History: Power, Knowledge and Society in the City] , Edinburgh September 5 - 7, 2002


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  • Urbanity — Ur*ban i*ty, n. [L. urbanitas; cf. F. urbanit[ e].] [1913 Webster] 1. The quality or state of being urbane; civility or courtesy of manners; politeness; refinement. [1913 Webster] The marquis did the honors of his house with the urbanity of his… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • urbanity — index courtesy Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • urbanity — 1530s, from Fr. urbanité (14c.) or directly from L. urbanitas, from urbanus (see URBAN (Cf. urban)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • urbanity — ► NOUN 1) an urbane quality or manner. 2) urban life …   English terms dictionary

  • urbanity — [ʉr ban′ə tē] n. pl. urbanities 1. the quality of being urbane 2. [pl.] civilities, courtesies, or amenities …   English World dictionary

  • urbanity — noun /əːˈbæn.ɪ.ti,ɝˈbæn.ə.ti/ a) Behaviour that is polished, refined, courteous. The vaunted courtesy of the old school, the smooth urbanity that prevailed in former days b) What is characteristically urban in an area; urbanness …   Wiktionary

  • urbanity — /err ban i tee/, n., pl. urbanities. 1. the quality of being urbane; refined courtesy or politeness; suavity: He was the last word in urbanity. 2. urbanities, civilities or amenities. 3. the quality or state of being urban. [1525 35; < L… …   Universalium

  • urbanity — noun (plural ties) Date: 15th century 1. the quality or state of being urbane 2. plural urbane acts or conduct …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • urbanity — I (Roget s IV) n. 1. [Courtesy] Syn. civility, refinement, polish; see courtesy 1 . 2. [Civilities, in plural ] Syn. amenities, decorum, courtesies; see culture 3 , sophistication . II (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun Refined, effortless beauty of… …   English dictionary for students

  • urbanity — ur·ban·i·ty || Éœr bænÉ™tɪ /ɜː b n. politeness; quality of being elegant and refined …   English contemporary dictionary

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