Arcadians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People born in or living in Arcadia, a mountainous rural region of ancient Greece ; members of a community that lives a simple, rustic, pastoral existence
2. Natives of the ancient Greek upland region of Arcadia ; those who dwell in a peaceful, unspoiled countryside life of shepherding and simplicity
3. The residents of Arcadia in the Peloponnese ; folk who lead an idealized, carefree rural life close to nature

Etymology: "Arcadians" is simply the plural of "Arcadian", a noun or adjective meaning a native or inhabitant of Arcadia, or relating to it. Arcadia is a mountainous region in the centre of the Peloponnese in Greece, and its people were traditionally thought of in classical times as simple shepherds living a contented rural life, which is why the term later came to suggest pastoral innocence. The word traces back through Latin "Arcadius", derived from the Greek place name "Arkadia", with the English suffix "-an" added to indicate a person or thing belonging to a place. The Middle English "-n" ending was later replaced by the modern "-an" form. The plural simply adds "-s" to the singular.

Synonyms: pastoral, idyllic, bucolic, rustic

Antonyms: urban