# Human "beings"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026 "2014-10-30T16:46:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/1 "2014-10-30T16:46:59Z")
Why do we say human “beings”? We don’t say dog “beings”, giraffe “beings”, or ladybug “beings”? (Or does that happen in other languages?) We don’t even say tree “beings” or desk “beings”, even though they exist as much as humans do. I tried Googling this, and couldn’t find an answer. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/2 "2014-10-30T16:53:35Z")
[Here’s some background on it](http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/52589/when-was-the-word-being-first-used-to-refer-to-a-human-being-or-sentient-being). It does make sense that we would distinquish ourselves from other ‘beings’. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/3 "2014-10-30T16:54:10Z")
We say the equivalent in French too. Hmmm…that’s a good question… ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/4 "2014-10-30T17:19:13Z")
[Human Being definition per the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_](http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/275376/human-being) Basically: _“…Therefore, all great apes are now gathered with humans into Hominidae…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/5 "2014-10-30T17:43:11Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > We say the equivalent in French too. Hmmm…that’s a good question… In Spanish as well: _seres humanos_. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/6 "2014-10-30T17:54:24Z")
Because “human” was originally an adjective, not a noun. So you need a noun of some sort (a “being”) to bestow the characteristics of human-ness upon. Over time, we began using “human” as a noun, and the “being” part became redundant. Much like “microwave oven” eventually came to be called just “the microwave” and “sexual intercourse” eventually came to be called just “sex.” Anyway, that’s my interpretation, for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/7 "2014-10-31T13:28:30Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Because “human” was originally an adjective, not a noun. So you need a noun of some sort (a “being”) to bestow the characteristics of human-ness upon. Over time, we began using “human” as a noun, and the “being” part became redundant. > > Much like “microwave oven” eventually came to be called just “the microwave” and “sexual intercourse” eventually came to be called just “sex.” > > Anyway, that’s my interpretation, for what it’s worth. I like that; it makes sense. (I’m reminded of a famous etymologist who said that if an etymology makes sense, it’s very unlikely to be correct, but I think he was being at least partially facetious.) Today, we say “human being” as a legacy of the past. I believe we can always replace it with the modern noun “human” without changing the meaning. It’s a relic, but one that we’ll continue to see for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/8 "2014-11-01T05:41:45Z")
Naw, it’s just a holdover from our leguminous heritage… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/9 "2014-11-01T05:49:50Z")
Some languages have categorical markers to indicate whether something is, for example, an animal. Pretty sure humans don’t get that marker. Also, I think both German and Vietnamese use different words for “eat” depending on whether a human or animal is eating; using the animal verb for a human is very insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-beings/703026/10 "2014-11-01T06:01:26Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Also, I think both German and Vietnamese use different words for “eat” depending on whether a human or animal is eating; using the animal verb for a human is very insulting. In German, it’s _essen_ and _fressen_. You can use _fressen_ for a human, but the implication is that he’s eating like an animal.