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You are here: Home / Language / What Does the Phrase “Family Circle” Mean and Where Did it Come From?

What Does the Phrase “Family Circle” Mean and Where Did it Come From?

February 24, 2020 by Karen Hill

When the early Normans brought fire indoors they built semicircular open fireplaces.

To keep warm at night or when the air was cool, the family would sit in a semicircle opposite the one formed by the hearth, creating a complete circle where they would spend time telling stories or singing songs within what they called the “family circle.”

When neighbors were included, it became “a circle of friends.”

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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