ABSTRACT
Let’s begin with the basics: the definition of words. What is the meaning of “citizen”? One would expect to find a definition such as “a member of a state,” and indeed the Webster’s Dictionary provides this definition. But it is preceded by two others: “a. an inhabitant of a city or a town, esp. one that is entitled to the civic rights and privileges of a freeman.2 b. a townsman as contrasted with a rustic.”3 “Citizen” originates in “city.” Thus we find a strong connection between being a citizen and the notion of inhabitance – of a city, as in the original definition, or a state, if we look at the modern era.
