Nomadisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A lifestyle characterized by the continual movement from one place to another without a permanent residence
2. The practices and behaviors associated with people who move frequently, often in search of resources or better living conditions
3. A cultural or social system involving the transient habits of groups or individuals who do not settle in one location for an extended period of time

Etymology: Nomadism is a plain compound, and its story runs through the Greek verb for "to graze" or "to pasture flocks." That verb, "nemein," gave rise to "nomas," a word for people who roam with their herds in search of pasture, and the Latin "Nomas" and Middle French "nomade" carried it into European languages. English took "nomad" from French, and "nomadism" was built on it by adding the suffix "-ism," which signals a system, condition or way of life. The word therefore names a lifestyle defined by the constant movement that grazing animals demanded. The word's core meaning is the surprise here: the ancient root is about feeding livestock, not about wandering for its own sake. The wandering was a consequence of finding grass, so the herder's movement was practical rather than restless. Nomadisms is the plural of nomadism, used when referring to several distinct forms of this way of life.

Synonyms: nomadic lifestyles, wandering, itinerancy, roaming, traveling