2

Is there a word for ideas and rituals that have developed around a skill or a task that one does?

For example, consider coffee-making or metalworking. Many people do these things as hobbies and there is a "culture" that has developed around them, where people exchange ideas of doing these things in a better or different way. For coffee-making, there is "coffee culture" and metalworking is just "metalworking".

What I am looking for is another word that could be used in the same sense as 'culture' in "coffee culture".

Improve this question
4
  • Why do you need a separate word when "culture" suffices?
    – user405662
    Commented Apr 2, 2021 at 14:58
  • Note that "farming" is another example.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Apr 2, 2021 at 21:46
  • 1
    Please provide a sample sentence to fit the word into. Until then - craft.
    – Phil Sweet
    Commented Apr 2, 2021 at 22:32
  • @PhilSweet 'Craft' is close to what I am looking for, but the emphasis is more on practice than theory. I think max-norton's answer is what I was looking for. 'Lore' encompasses both theory and practice. And could be used in connection with established occupations as well as more mundane tasks: "In coffee-making lore, a portafilter is a device which..." "In sumo lore, the dohyo-iri is a ceremony performed during..."
    – Ar1Bis
    Commented Apr 4, 2021 at 17:04

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

One possibility is lore, used to mean

the body of traditional facts, anecdotes, or beliefs relating to some particular subject; chiefly with attributive noun, as animal lore, bird lore, fairy lore, plant lore (OED, lore n. 1, sense 5)

Its historical association with religious doctrine helps it encompass both knowledge and practice.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .