tribe
Pronunciation: /trʌɪb/
noun
- 1a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader: indigenous Indian tribes
- (in ancient Rome) each of several political divisions, originally three, later thirty, ultimately thirty-five.
- derogatory a distinctive or close-knit group: she made a stand against the social codes of her English middle-class tribe an outburst against the whole tribe of theoreticians
- informal a large number of people: tribes of children playing under the watchful eyes of nurses
Origin:
Middle English: from Old French tribu or Latin tribus (singular and plural); perhaps related to tri- 'three' and referring to the three divisions of the early people of Rome
In historical contexts the word tribe is broadly accepted ( the area was inhabited by Slavic tribes), but in contemporary contexts it is problematic when used to refer to a community living within a traditional society. It is strongly associated with past attitudes of white colonialists towards so-called primitive or uncivilized peoples living in remote undeveloped places. For this reason it is generally preferable to use alternative terms such as community or people.