etic
/ˈɛtɪk/
adjective
- Relating to the study or description of a culture or language from an outsider's perspective, using general categories that apply across many cultures.
- The researcher's etic viewpoint helped her notice patterns that insiders might overlook.
- The anthropologist used an etic approach to compare marriage customs across different societies.
- In linguistics, an etic analysis looks at sounds from a universal phonetic standpoint rather than how they function in one language.
Antonyms
noun
- An etic perspective or description; an outsider's analysis of a culture or language.
- The study's etic focused on measurable behaviors rather than local meanings.
- She preferred the etic over the emic because it allowed for broader comparisons.
- The textbook presented an etic of Japanese business practices that was useful for foreign managers.