Groundliness

/ˈɡraʊndlinəs/ noun

Definition

The quality of being groundling-like; earthiness, crudeness, or lack of sophistication; the characteristic nature of common, ordinary people.

Etymology

From 'groundling' plus the noun-forming suffix -ness, describing the quality of being earthly, common, or unsophisticated in character.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare used 'groundling' to mean the audience members standing in the pit—he thought of them as crude and earthly compared to the sophisticated box-seat spectators, showing how snobbery and social hierarchy shaped theater.

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