Ethnicity Meaning

The textbook definition of ‘Ethnic’ or ‘Ethnicity’ translates to “a group of people possessing some degree of coherence and solidarity who are, at least latently aware of having common origins and interests”.

So, ethnic group is not a mere aggregate of people or a sector of population, but a self-conscious collection of people united, or closely related, by shared  experiences.

The Cambridge dictionary defines ‘Ethnic’ as  – a large group of people who have the same national, racial, or cultural origins, or the state of belonging to such a group

Ethenic Group

An Ethnic Group is usually bigger (in numbers) than a tribe (though the terms can overlap, as in the example of Kenya or other large African communities. It comes from the Greek  word “Ethnos”, which can also be translated as “Nation”, and is similar to the Latin “GENS” from which the English word “Gentile” comes (that is used in English to translate the Hebrew “goy”, which means “nation”). An “ethnic group” is usually one with a shared language and culture, and whose members have enough in common to perceive themselves as a distinct group.

In India, the word “ethnic” is often replaced by “tribe”. But it can be lamely quoted as tribe is more like a lifestyle. They are characterized by their relatively small size compared to the population of a town. Tribes also have the tendency to be traditional, in terms of lifestyle and technology.

On the other hand, ethnic groups aren’t just exclusive to tribes. They can be people who live in modern big city who share some common similarities.

A nation can consist of multiple tribes/ethnic groups. They are usually associated with a country, but also a territory that is relatively large enough.

Tribe

A social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity

Relating to a population subgroup (within a larger or dominant national or cultural group) with a common national or cultural tradition.

A tribe shares a common ancestor, a same language, customs and the same land.

An ethnic group shares the same language and customs but can sometimes be split across artificially-drawn borders.

Ethnic groups have a distinct language and culture. Tribes are offshoots of ethnic groups, meaning that they could speak a dialect of an ethnic group, or have a slightly different sub-culture of an ethnic group. For instance, Arabs are a part of an ethnic group because of a common language and distinct culture. Yoruba is a distinct ethnic group given their common language and culture.