Kohorta

Kohorta is a term found in several languages that stems from the Latin cohors, meaning a group organized for a common purpose. In classical Rome, a cohors was a standard military unit within a legion, typically formed of six centuries and totaling about 480 infantrymen; the first cohort was sometimes larger. Ten cohorts comprised a legion, though exact composition varied across periods.

In modern usage, kohorta often functions as the native word for the concept of a cohort—a group of people linked by a shared characteristic or experience, or a group followed over time in a study. In epidemiology and demography, a birth cohort or exposure cohort is defined by specific temporal or experiential criteria and examined for outcomes over time. In education and social science, cohorts can refer to groups of students or participants who progress through a program together.

Kohorta can also appear as a proper noun in various regions, where it is used as the name of organizations, clubs, or cultural initiatives. In these cases, the term typically retains its sense of a collective or organized group, rather than referring to a historical military unit.

See also: Cohort; cohors.