History is the study of what really happened to people in the past. It looks at the actions, events and changes in human life, and tries to explain how and why they happened. History is not a made-up story; it is built on real evidence.
Where the word comes from
The English word history comes from the Greek word historia, which means an inquiry or investigation to find the truth. The Malay word sejarah comes from the Arabic word syajaratun, meaning a tree. A tree has roots, a trunk and branches, just as a family or a nation grows and spreads from its origins over time.
What makes something history
For an event to be part of history it must have three features:
- It must be true and really have happened in the past.
- It must be important enough to be remembered.
- It must be supported by sources or evidence, so it can be studied.
A myth or legend, such as a story about a magical hero, is not history because it cannot be proven with evidence. History also arranges events in the order of time, from earlier to later, so we can follow how one event led to another.
Key idea
History = the study of the true human past, based on evidence and arranged by time. Greek historia = inquiry; Arabic syajaratun = tree.
Remember
- History studies real past events, not fantasy.
- It always needs sources to prove it.
- Events are ordered by time.