What is the meaning of the term history?

Answer 1

The word "history" comes from ancient Latin and Greek words referring to "telling" or "narrating," as well as "seeing." Those who study history are investigating what happened in the past: the stories, the famous people, the important events that help to make up a culture or a society. There are many kinds of history, and each offers a different way of seeing what took place in a previous time. Some historians only study a certain time period-- the middle ages, or the Revolutionary War, or the Roaring Twenties.

There are also particular types of historical study. For example, American history generally focuses on the stories about how the United States was founded, how it developed, how it grew, and what were the challenges it faced in each era. Women's history addresses the stories of the different roles that women played throughout the years, how attitudes about women changed, famous women and their accomplishments. Religions also have their own specific stories: for example, Catholic history would look at the stories of how the Catholic religion was begun, who its major figures were, how church law evolved, and how the Catholic faith influenced a particular society.

People do not only study history to learn about the way things were; they often want to see if there is a relationship between what happened in the past and what is happening in the present-- for example, by studying the mistakes of the past, we become better able to understand patterns that keep recurring, and we can possibly learn how to avoid making those same mistakes. In addition to studying the mistakes of the past, we can learn from the achievements of those who came before us. We can gain inspiration and encouragement from the inventors, scientists, explorers, and scholars whose contributions to society still influence our lives even today.