Member Meant a Limb Before It Meant a Person
A member belongs to a group. The Latin word means a limb, which is why we speak of dismembering.
A member is one who belongs to a group. The Latin *membrum* means a limb of the body, and the transfer is a metaphor: a group is a body, and each person is a limb of it. *Dismember* preserves the literal sense exactly, and *membrane* comes from the same word, meaning the skin covering a limb.
- One belonging to a group. *A club member.*
- A limb (archaic). *The members of the body.*
- A structural element. *A load-bearing member.*
- Membership — the state of belonging. *Annual membership.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | member | A founding member. |
| Plural | members | Committee members. |
| Noun | membership | A membership card. |
| Verb | dismember | Dismember the body. |
| Related | membrane | A cell membrane. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Members of the public were admitted.General use.
- A structural member carries load.Engineering.
- Dismember means to remove limbs.The literal sense.
Body metaphors for groups
- Member — a limb of the body
- Body — a group treated as one, as in a governing body
- Head — the leader
- Corporation — from *corpus*, a body
- Incorporate — to form into a body
From Latin *membrum*, a limb. *Membrane* comes from *membrana*, the skin covering a limb.
Are member and membrane related?
Yes. Membrane meant the skin covering a limb, from the same Latin word.
Why is a group called a body?
From the ancient metaphor of a community as a body with each person as a limb, which also gives us corporation and incorporate.