stratification
Meaning
The process or result of forming or arranging something into distinct layers or strata.
The hierarchical arrangement of people in a society into different classes or groups based on social, economic, or other factors.
Structure
Usage
The rock formation shows clear stratification, with layers of sandstone and shale.
Social stratification based on wealth and occupation is a feature of many complex societies.
The data scientist performed stratification of the sample to ensure all age groups were proportionally represented.
Etymology
The word 'stratification' is built upon the Latin root stratum, meaning a spread-out layer, which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root stere- meaning 'to spread'. Combined with the formative element -ficare (to make) and the abstract noun suffix -ation, the term literally means 'the process of making into layers'. This concrete geological concept of forming successive strata was later extended metaphorically to describe the structured layering of social classes, where society is seen as composed of superimposed hierarchical groups. The logic of the word elegantly connects the physical act of depositing material in sheets to the sociological process of systematic ranking and division.
Analysis
- strat: From Latin stratum (something spread out, layer, blanket). Denotes a horizontal layer. - i: A connecting vowel used in Latin-derived words to join roots and suffixes. - fic: From Latin -ficare, a combining form of facere (to make, to do). Denotes the act of making or causing. - ation: A noun-forming suffix from Latin -ationem, indicating an action or process, or the result of an action.