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Origin and history of urban

urban(adj.)

"characteristic of city life, pertaining to cities or towns," 1610s (but rare before 1830s), from Latin urbanus "of or pertaining to a city or city life; in Rome," also "in city fashion, polished, refined, cultivated, courteous," but also sometimes "witty, facetious, bold, impudent;" as a noun, "city dweller," from urbs (genitive urbis) "city, walled town," a word of unknown origin.

The adjective urban gradually emerged in this sense as urbane became restricted to manners and styles of expression, but originally urban also could mean "civil, courteous in manners."

Urban sprawl is recorded by 1958. Urban blight is attested by 1919. Urban renewal, euphemistic for "slum clearance," is attested from 1954, as a new U.S. program to improve low-income housing. In late 20c. American English, urban acquired a suggestion of "African-American."

Urban legend is attested by 1980.

also from 1610s

Urban

masc. proper name, from Latin urbanus "refined, courteous," literally "of a city" (see urban (adj.)). Of the popes of this name, Urban II (1088-1099) preached the First Crusade; the opponents of Urban VI (1378-1389) set up a rival in 1378 and began the Great Schism. His adherents were Urbanites.

Entries linking to urban

urbane(adj.)

1530s, "of or relating to cities or towns" (a rare sense now obsolete), from French urbain (14c.) and directly from Latin urbanus "belonging to a city," also "citified, elegant" (see urban). The meaning "civil, courteous, having the manners of townspeople, refined" is from 1620s, from a secondary sense in classical Latin. (Urbanity in this sense is recorded from 1530s.) For sense connection and differentiation of form, compare human/humane; german/germane. Related: Urbanely.

Urbane; literally city-like, expresses a sort of politeness which is not only sincere and kind, but peculiarly suave and agreeable. [Century Dictionary]

A.U.C.

as an abbreviation in Roman history in reckoning of dates it represents either ab urbe condita (q.v.) "from the founding of the city" or Anno Urbis Conditae "in the year of the founded city," from ablative of annus "year" (see annual (adj.)) + genitive of urbs "city" (see urban) + genitive of condita, fem. of conditus, past participle of condere "to set up, put together" (see abscond).