bohemia
n. uncountablen. a community of people, often artists or writers, who live in a way that is different from most of society. It describes a place or group where people value creativity and freedom over money or traditional rules.
n. a social environment or community of people, typically artists and intellectuals, who adopt an unconventional lifestyle. Often used to describe the collective culture of a specific urban district known for creative non-conformity.
The city's old district was once a famous bohemia.
Young writers flocked to the neighborhood, hoping to find a bohemia where they could live cheaply and focus on their craft.
While the original bohemia of the Latin Quarter has largely vanished due to rising rents, its spirit persists in the digital communities of modern independent creators.
Latinized translation of French Bohême, from Late Latin Boiohaemum, compound of Boio- (“the Boii”), the Celtic tribe previously inhabiting the area and Germanic haimaz (“home”) (more at home). The endonym is from Proto-Celtic boyos and could ultimately be from Proto-Indo-European gʷṓws (“cattle”) (compare Proto-Celtic bāus (“cattle”), genitive bowos), a reference to cattle owners, or from bʰeyh₂- (“to hit”), i.e. “warrior, strong hitter” (compare Proto-Celtic *binati (“to strike, hit”)). Bohemia was abandoned by the Boii c. 60 BCE and settled by the Germanic Marcomanni shortly thereafter. Related to Bavaria.
Often used without an article to describe the abstract social scene, though it can take 'a' when referring to a specific geographic location.