Groups of people, often young, who associate closely for social or criminal purposes. Can also refer to organized teams of workers or any coordinated group.
From Old English 'gang' meaning a going or journey, related to 'gangan' (to go). The sense of a group of people developed in Middle English, while the criminal association emerged in 19th century America, particularly in urban environments.
The word 'gang' originally had no criminal connotations and simply meant a group traveling together - we still see this in 'gang of workers.' The criminal meaning developed alongside urbanization and immigration in 19th-century America, when territorial disputes and economic pressures led to the formation of organized criminal groups.
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