Tag: gangs 223r2e

A gang is a group of people, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen. In the United Kingdom the word is still often used in this sense, but it later underwent pejoration. The word gang often carries a negative connotation; however, within a gang which defines itself in opposition to mainstream norms, may adopt the phrase as a statement of identity or defiance.

The word "gang" derives from the past participle of Old English gan "to go". It is cognate with Old Norse gangr, meaning "journey."