Ethnos

Ethnos is a term used in anthropology and ethnology to denote a people or a specific ethnic group. It refers to a community that shares a common language, culture, and sense of identity, and that perceives itself as a distinct social unit within a larger population. The word is derived from the Greek ethnos, meaning “people” or “nation,” and was adopted into European social science to describe non-state groups and their distinct cultures.

In modern scholarship, ethnos is often discussed in relation to ethnicity and ethnic groups. Ethnicity generally refers to the social processes, identities, and practices through which groups construct belonging, while ethnos can denote the group as an object of description or study. Some traditions use ethnos (or ethnoi in the plural) to designate multiple distinct peoples within a region, each with its own language, customs, and territorial ties.

The concept emphasizes cultural and social boundaries, but contemporary analysis also recognizes fluidity and change. Ethnos can form, transform, or dissolve through migration, intermarriage, colonial or national policies, and shifting self-identifications. Because of this dynamism, scholars use ethnos alongside related terms such as nation, ethnicity, and ethnic group to describe how people define themselves and others within multiethnic landscapes.

In sum, ethnos is a historical and cross-cultural term for a people or ethnic group, focusing on shared culture and identity while intersecting with broader discussions of ethnicity, nationality, and social belonging.