Bourgeois (masculine) Bourgeoise (feminine): In the Middle Ages, a bourgeois was simply an inhabitant of a Bourg - a village of some importance - who has certain privileges of status compare to someone who worked the land. A bourgeois is neither of noble birth, nor of the church, nor does he/she work with his/her hands, and yet he/she possesses some wealth. Today, in France, to be bourgeois implies a certain level of material wealth, education, and conservative behavior and thoughts.
Petit-bourgeois or Petite-bourgeoise is different from bourgeois. A petit-bourgeois is a step down from bourgeois. A petit-bourgeois does not have quite as much wealth or education as a bourgeois. A petit-bourgeois may be a bourgeois-wannabe however, I imagine petit-bourgeois is a term of contempt used between petty bourgeois... "Ah, those Chiracs! Well, I never! Did you see the way the table was set for dinner this evening? How petit-bourgeois was that? I ask you, honestly...pfffft"
The opposite of a bourgeois is a prolétaire - proletarian (that's me!) So a petit-bourgeois may be a proletarian who is trying to make the upward transition or it may be a bourgeois who is slipping in status but I still believe that petit-bourgeois may be a term of insult used between bourgeois.
Anyway, I like that name and all it implies... Hope you don't mind my intrusion - I love words.
Bourgeois (masculine) Bourgeoise (feminine): In the Middle Ages, a bourgeois was simply an inhabitant of a Bourg - a village of some importance - who has certain privileges of status compare to someone who worked the land. A bourgeois is neither of noble birth, nor of the church, nor does he/she work with his/her hands, and yet he/she possesses some wealth. Today, in France, to be bourgeois implies a certain level of material wealth, education, and conservative behavior and thoughts.
Petit-bourgeois or Petite-bourgeoise is different from bourgeois. A petit-bourgeois is a step down from bourgeois. A petit-bourgeois does not have quite as much wealth or education as a bourgeois. A petit-bourgeois may be a bourgeois-wannabe however, I imagine petit-bourgeois is a term of contempt used between petty bourgeois... "Ah, those Chiracs! Well, I never! Did you see the way the table was set for dinner this evening? How petit-bourgeois was that? I ask you, honestly...pfffft"
The opposite of a bourgeois is a prolétaire - proletarian (that's me!) So a petit-bourgeois may be a proletarian who is trying to make the upward transition or it may be a bourgeois who is slipping in status but I still believe that petit-bourgeois may be a term of insult used between bourgeois.
Anyway, I like that name and all it implies...
Hope you don't mind my intrusion - I love words.
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honestly, when i made it my lj user name, i didn't know very much of this.
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