| humanity | Origin: L. Humanitas: cf. F. Humanite. See Human. 1. The quality of being human; the peculiar nature of man, by which he is distinguished from other beings. 2. Mankind collectively; the human race. "But hearing oftentimes The still, and music humanity." (Wordsworth) "It is a debt we owe to humanity." (S. S. Smith) 3. The quality of being humane; the kind feelings, dispositions, and sympathies of man; especially, a disposition to relieve persons or animals in distress, and to treat all creatures with kindness and tenderness. "The common offices of humanity and friendship." 4. Mental cultivation; liberal education; instruction in classical and polite literature. "Polished with humanity and the study of witty science." (Holland) 5. (With definite article) The branches of polite or elegant learning; as language, rhetoric, poetry, and the ancient classics; belles-letters. The cultivation of the languages, literature, history, and archaeology of Greece and Rome, were very commonly called literae humaniores, or, in English, the humanities, . . . By way of opposition to the literae divinae, or divinity. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| soc | 1. The lord's power or privilege of holding a court in a district, as in manor or lordship; jurisdiction of causes, and the limits of that jurisdiction. Liberty or privilege of tenants excused from customary burdens. 2. An exclusive privilege formerly claimed by millers of grrinding all the corn used within the manor or township which the mill stands. Soc and sac, the full right of administering justice in a manor or lordship. Origin: AS. Soc the power of holding court, sway, domain, properly, the right of investigating or seeking; akin to E. Sake, seek. Sake, Seek, and cf. Sac, and Soke Alternative forms: sock, and soke. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |