proletariat
UK[ˌprəʊlɪˈteəriət]US[ˌproʊlɪˈteriət]
n
the class of wage‑earners in a society, especially those who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labour to live.
n
the lowest or poorest class of a community, especially when seen as lacking in social status or political power.
Morpheme Breakdown
prolet
ari
at
prolet
offspring
ari
pertaining to
at
noun suffix denoting a collective
Etymology
the term originates from the latin word prōlētārius, which in ancient rome designated a citizen of the lowest social class. this class was so named because their primary contribution to the state was seen as producing prōlēs (offspring), rather than property or wealth. the word entered english via french prolétariat in the 19th century, where it was adopted and redefined by marxist theory to describe the industrial working class who sell their labour power. thus, the etymological journey transforms the ancient notion of "those valued only for their progeny" into the modern socio‑economic concept of the property‑less working class.
Analysis
Structure: prolet (offspring) + ari (pertaining to) + at (noun suffix denoting a collective)
prolet (from latin prōlēs, meaning "offspring, progeny"); ari (latin adjectival suffix ‑ārius, meaning "pertaining to, connected with"); at (latin noun suffix ‑ātus, denoting a state, condition, or collective entity).
Examples
marx argued that the proletariat must become conscious of its collective power to overthrow the bourgeoisie.
the industrial revolution led to the rapid expansion of an urban proletariat.
policies aimed at improving the living conditions of the proletariat were central to the party's platform.