Agrestis

/əˈɡrɛstɪs/ noun

Definition

A person who lives in or is characteristic of the countryside; a rustic or rural inhabitant.

Etymology

Directly from Latin agrestis, originally an adjective meaning 'of fields or countryside' that became used as a noun for country dwellers. The Latin root agr- derives from agriculture and pastoral living.

Kelly Says

Roman writers used agrestis to describe someone as unsophisticated or rough compared to city people—we still do this today when we use terms like 'redneck' or 'hick,' showing how ancient class attitudes toward rural people persist in modern language.

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