Have you ever wondered why university grounds are called “campuses?” It’s a funny word, isn’t it? It almost sounds like something you would call a military base or a group of tents in a field. But as it turns out, the word “campus” has a very interesting history. Keep reading to learn more about how this strange word came to be associated with universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first use of the word “campus” to refer to university grounds dates back to the 1640s. At that time, the term was used to describe the large piece of land that a university was built on. This usage is similar to how we might refer to the “grounds” or “estate” of a wealthy person today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word “campus” comes from the Latin word for “field.” This makes sense when you consider that many early universities were built on rural land donated by wealthy landowners. The University of Oxford, for example, was originally built on land donated by two different noblemen in the 12th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interestingly, the word “campus” was not originally used to refer exclusively to university grounds. In fact, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the term became associated primarily with universities. Before that, the word could be used to describe any large piece of open land, whether it was used for farming, grazing, or even military training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So there you have it! The next time someone asks you why universities are called “campuses,” you can regale them with this fascinating bit of history. Who knows? You might even inspire them to look up some other words and find out where they came from.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Have you ever wondered why university grounds are called “campuses?” It’s a funny word, isn’t it? It almost sounds like something you would call a military base or a group of tents in a field. But as it turns out, the word “campus” has a very interesting history. Keep reading to learn more about how…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n