Alumni
An alumnus (Latin pronunciation: [aˈlʊmnʊs]; masculine) or an alumna ([aˈlʊmna]; feminine) of a college, university, or other school is a former student who has either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The word is Latin and simply means student. The plural is alumni [aˈlʊmniː] for men and mixed groups and alumnae [aˈlʊmnae̯] for women. The term is not synonymous with "graduate"; one can be an alumnus without graduating (Burt Reynolds, alumnus but not graduate of Florida State, is an example). The term is sometimes used to refer to a former employee or member of an organization, contributor, or inmate.[1][2][3]
Etymology
The Latin noun alumnus means "foster son" or "pupil". It is derived from PIE *h₂el- (grow, nourish), and is closely related to the Latin verb alo "to nourish".[4] Separate, but from the same root, is the adjective almus "nourishing", found in the phrase Alma Mater, a title for a person's home university.
In Latin, alumnus is a legal term (Roman law) to describe a child placed in fosterage.[5] According to John Boswell, the word "is nowhere defined in relation to status, privilege, or obligation."[6] Citing the research of Henri Leclercq, Teresa Nani, and Beryl Rawson, who studied the many inscriptions about alumni, Boswell concluded that it referred to exposed children who were taken into a household where they were "regarded as somewhere between an heir and a slave, partaking in different ways of both categories." Despite the warmth of feelings between the parent and child, "an alumnus might be treated both as a beloved child and as a household servant."[7]
Usage
An alumnus or alumna is a former student and most often a graduate of an educational institution (school, college, university).[8] According to the United States Department of Education, the term alumnae is used in conjunction with either women's colleges[9] or a female group of students. The term alumni is used in conjunction with either men's colleges, a male group of students, or a mixed group of students:
In accordance with the rules of grammar governing the inflexion of nouns in the Romance languages, the masculine plural alumni is correctly used for groups composed of both sexes: the alumni of Princeton University.[10]
The term is sometimes informally shortened to "alum" (optional plural "alums").[11]
Alumni reunions are popular events at many institutions. They are usually organized by alumni associations and are often social occasions for fundraising.
See also
References
- ^ "The State Of Corporate Alumni : 2017 Survey Results". EnterpriseAlumni - Large Organization Alumni & Retiree Management. 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ^ "Alumni – Definition from the Free Merriam Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. 2010-08-13. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
1: A person who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university. 2: a person who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate
- ^ "Alumnus – definition of alumnus by Macmillan dictionary". Macmillandictionary.com. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
Someone who was a student at a particular school, college, or university
- ^ Merriam-Webster: alumnus...
- ^ For example, Digest 40, 2, 14
- ^ Boswell 1988, pp. 116.
- ^ Boswell 1988, pp. 117–119.
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
- ^ "Archived: Women's Colleges in the United States: History, Issues, and Challenges". Ed.gov. Archived from the original on 2006-08-15. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
- ^ "alumni – Definitions from Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
- ^ "alum." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. 1 December 2006. Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alum
Bibliography
- Boswell, John (1988). The Kindness of Strangers:The Abandonment of Children in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance. New York: Pantheon. ISBN 9780226067124.
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External links
The dictionary definition of alumni at Wiktionary
