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Q4 of today's etymology quiz.
The name of which trade may be traced back to a Roman instrument of torture?
(BTW Answers are being posted under each original tweet after a couple of hours.)
Q5 at about 2pm
The name of which trade may be traced back to a Roman instrument of torture?
(BTW Answers are being posted under each original tweet after a couple of hours.)
Q5 at about 2pm
The answer to this is, surprisingly, Travel Agent.
Caution: the background to this is unpleasant.
Romans, as we know, practiced slavery. A trepalium ('three' 'stake') was a kind of truncheon used for 'punishment'.
'Trepalium' morphed into a word for 'work'...
Caution: the background to this is unpleasant.
Romans, as we know, practiced slavery. A trepalium ('three' 'stake') was a kind of truncheon used for 'punishment'.
'Trepalium' morphed into a word for 'work'...
...in several European languages i.e. 'trabajo' in Spanish, 'travaille' in French, and 'travail' in 13th C. English.
'Travail' then acquired the additional meaning of 'going on a journey', which is a far lovelier thing for people to do.
'Travail' then acquired the additional meaning of 'going on a journey', which is a far lovelier thing for people to do.
