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Position:Home>History> Why is a civil war called 'civil'?Question: Why is a civil war called 'civil'!? No war could be civil- i know it is within a country, but why is it called civil- what does it derive from!? Is it anything to do With it being civilians who fight!? Any info please cos it is just one of those things that i find rly irksome!. xx thanxWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: You are using civil to mean polite, well intentioned, etc!. The more primary meaning of civil is that it pertains to matters of state or citizenry!. The word derives from the Latin civilis!. The term civil war likely originated during the period when control of the Roman state was being fought over by individual citizens such as Caesar, Crassus, Pompey, but also Sallust, Marius, Anthony, and Augustus!. The Greeks of course also had civil wars, but I don't know that they used a word to describe them that correlates with "civil"!. The Greek word for civility derives from the Greek polis, meanig city or city-state!. The Greek for war derives from the same word, suggesting that to the Greeks at least the war was at its basic level a civil matter!. I therefore suspect that while the word itself derives from Latin, the concept of a civil war is Greek!. Edit in response to Mo Fayed: The Latin civilis does not mean city!. The word for city is urbe!.Www@QuestionHome@Com You've kinda answered the question yourself!.!. Yes, a civil war is called so because the major players in the war involve people within that very country!. It is a war between domestic actors that are in control of one part of the territory and another!.!. Another characteristic is that civil wars usually involve two-sided violence -- so, just the people being killed by the government for eg!., is not a civil war!. But your first sentence is absolutely right! No war is Civil!.!. and as Guns n' Roses wrote in their song!.!. "what's so civil about war anyway!?"Www@QuestionHome@Com The word civil does not just mean polite!. It can also mean of or relating to the citizens of a country!. A civil war is one that occurs between the people of a single country rather than between two countries!. Lots of countries have had civil wars!. There are some people who will give you an argument about whether this particular conflict was truly a civil war!. They will tell you that it is properly called The War Between the States!. Www@QuestionHome@Com It's probably based on these definitions of the word 'civil': 1!. of, pertaining to, or consisting of citizens: civil life; civil society!. 2!. of the commonwealth or state: civil affairs!. 3!. of citizens in their ordinary capacity, or of the ordinary life and affairs of citizens, as distinguished from military and ecclesiastical life and affairs!. Www@QuestionHome@Com because when they us civil in the term of a war then it means the country has split into to sides with certain issues in between them- at the heart of the american civil war slavery was a leading cause in fact it was at the heart of nearly every issue but wasn't the only cause so america Split into the southern confederacy and the north!. yet we came back together when the war was over yet that doesn't Always happen straight away (ex!. north and south korea)Www@QuestionHome@Com Mostly because it is between two factions inside a country!. Or different factions allied against each other!. As for why anyone ever called them civil I have no idea!. In history civil wars are regarded as the bloodiest and most brutal!. Only religious wars tend to surpass them in that way!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Because it is fought for the most part by civilians as opposed to the military,(although they are involved) and both sides originate from the same country, ie the Unionists and Confederates, the Roundheads and Royalists and so on!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Civil can defined as: of or occurring within the state or between or among citizens of the state!. So the Civil War was a war within the state, or in this case, our country!.Www@QuestionHome@Com The first definition for 'civil' is "relating to what happens within the state or between different citizens or groups of citizens"--that is, a war within states or between the citizens of those states!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com A Civil War gets its name cause it means against themselves!. What that means oppenents of the war are from within the same national borders!. Such as the North and South of the American Civil War!.Www@QuestionHome@Com civil - relating to citizens!. civil war - a war between citizens of a country!. civil war a war between political factions or regions within the same country!.Www@QuestionHome@Com it's from the Latin word 'civis', which can be broadly translated into 'an area governed as one entity' (eg city/nation)!. So if the people inside that area start fighting each other it's described as civil war!. Www@QuestionHome@Com lol it does not mean civil like that, it means both sides were from the same country thats what wars between 2 factions from the same country is always called!.Www@QuestionHome@Com All the civil civilians kill each other!.Www@QuestionHome@Com how is it that YOU find it irksome is relevant in anyway!?!?!?!? Www@QuestionHome@Com civil - from the Latin word for city!. An inter-town conflict, not extending to other states and peoples!.Www@QuestionHome@Com i'd guess civiliansWww@QuestionHome@Com cuz its in 1 countryWww@QuestionHome@Com it was a "war between the states" Www@QuestionHome@Com |