Human

== Etymology and definition ==
{{Further|Names for the human species|Human taxonomy|}}
[[File:Carl von Linné, 1707-1778, botanist, professor (Alexander Roslin) - Nationalmuseum - 15723.tif|thumb|upright|[[Carl Linnaeus]] coined the name ''Homo sapiens'']]
All modern humans are classified into the [[species]] ''Homo sapiens'', coined by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his 1735 work ''[[Systema Naturae]]''.<ref>{{cite journal| vauthors = Spamer EE |date=29 January 1999|title=Know Thyself: Responsible Science and the Lectotype of Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758|journal=Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences |volume=149 |issue=1 |pages=109–114 |jstor=4065043}}</ref> The [[Name of a biological genus|generic name]] "''[[Homo]]''" is a learned 18th-century derivation from Latin {{lang|la|homō}}, which refers to humans of either sex.<ref>{{cite book|author=Porkorny|year=1959|title=[[IEW]]|at=s.v. "g'hðem" pp. 414–116}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Homo |dictionary=Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) |publisher=Random House |url=https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Homo |date=23 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927011551/https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homo |archive-date=27 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The word ''human'' can refer to all members of the ''Homo'' genus,<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=We don't know which species should be classed as 'human' |url=https://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160111-what-is-it-that-makes-you-a-human-and-not-something-else |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826223800/http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160111-what-is-it-that-makes-you-a-human-and-not-something-else |archive-date=26 August 2021 |access-date=31 March 2021 |website=BBC |language=en |first=Colin|last=Barras|date=11 January 2016}}</ref> although in common usage it generally just refers to ''Homo sapiens,'' the only [[Neontology|extant]] species.<ref>{{cite web|title=Definition of human|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human|access-date=31 March 2021|website=Merriam-Webster|language=en|archive-date=11 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211000740/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human|url-status=live}}</ref> The name "''Homo'' ''sapiens''" means 'wise man' or 'knowledgeable man'.<ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Spamer EE|date=1999|title=Know Thyself: Responsible Science and the Lectotype of Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4065043|journal=Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia|volume=149|pages=109–114|issn=0097-3157|jstor=4065043|access-date=30 July 2022|archive-date=8 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408045630/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4065043|url-status=live}}</ref> There is disagreement if certain extinct members of the genus, namely [[Neanderthal]]s, should be included as a separate species of humans or as a [[subspecies]] of ''H. sapiens''.<ref name="auto" />

''Human'' is a [[loanword]] of [[Middle English]] from [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|humain}}, ultimately from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|hūmānus}}, the adjectival form of {{lang|la|homō}} ('man' – in the sense of humanity).<ref>{{cite book|title=[[OED]]|at=[[Sub verbo|s.v.]] "human"}}</ref> The native English term ''[[Man (word)|man]]'' can refer to the species generally (a synonym for ''humanity'') as well as to human males. It may also refer to individuals of either sex.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man |title=Man |quote=Definition 2: a man belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) – usually used in combination |work=[[Merriam-Webster Dictionary]] |archive-date=22 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050822/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man |url-status=live |access-date=14 September 2017}}</ref>

Despite the fact that the word ''animal'' is colloquially used as an [[Opposite (semantics)|antonym]] for ''human'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thesaurus results for human |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/human |access-date=21 May 2022 |website=[[Merriam-Webster Dictionary]] |language=en |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628010110/https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/human |url-status=live}}</ref> and contrary to a [[List of common misconceptions#Biology|common biological misconception]], humans are animals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 September 2021 |title=Misconceptions about evolution – Understanding Evolution |url=https://evolution.berkeley.edu/teach-evolution/misconceptions-about-evolution/ |access-date=21 May 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606191558/https://evolution.berkeley.edu/teach-evolution/misconceptions-about-evolution/ |url-status=live|website=University of California, Berkeley }}</ref> The word ''[[person]]'' is often used interchangeably with ''human'', but philosophical debate exists as to whether [[personhood]] applies to all humans or all [[sentient being]]s, and further if one can lose personhood (such as by going into a [[persistent vegetative state]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Concept of Personhood |url=https://medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/personhood |access-date=4 July 2021 |website=[[University of Missouri School of Medicine]] |archive-date=4 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304011726/https://medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/personhood |url-status=live}}</ref>