What word is derived from the Irish Uisce Beatha meaning 'water of life'?

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In summary, the word "robot" is derived from the Czech playwright Karel Capek's word for "laborer or peasant". "Salary" is derived from the Latin word for salt. The Bogomils were a heretical movement that first flowered in the Balkans in the mid-tenth century and were considered a serious threat to religious orthodoxy. The ancients believed that of all things required for the support of human life, salt was the most important. The Nizaris were a sub-sect of Shi'ite Muslims from around the 12th Century AD and operated out mountain forts, engaged in a long campaign of murdering numerous Sunni officials of the Abbasid and Seljuk
  • #36
decimate - strictly, to reduce by a factor of ten, but usually works for any a large reduction in numbers - to fairly wipe out, obliterate. I remember this from (some years ago) when I was going through a list of words for the GRE test.
 
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  • #37
This is true. A stab at the origin?
 
  • #38
jimmy p said:
This is true. A stab at the origin?

Latin?

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
  • #39
The origin of "decimate" is a disciplinary measure in the Roman legions when the officers thought the troops need chastisement and morale-boosting:
The troops were divided into groups of ten.
Each member in a tenner group drew a wooden stick; the guy who drew the burnt stick were beaten to death by the other nine in front of the other troops.
That's where "decimation" comes from, folks.
 
  • #40
Hmmm...this seems to be correct - meaning that I was wrong. I thought 'decimate' meant killing/eliminating 90% of the people, but it actually (arch.) means taking out 10% of the people.
 
  • #41
Evo said:
Gokul43201, that was great and very educational!

Thanks, Evo :smile:

Can we have another, please? :smile:

Perhaps some other theme next...
 
  • #42
arildno said:
The origin of "decimate" is a disciplinary measure in the Roman legions when the officers thought the troops need chastisement and morale-boosting:
The troops were divided into groups of ten.
Each member in a tenner group drew a wooden stick; the guy who drew the burnt stick were beaten to death by the other nine in front of the other troops.
That's where "decimation" comes from, folks.


That is close to what I had. Yes it was a disciplinary. I learned that if a unit needed severe disciplining, 10 out the 100 would be selected and slaughtered in front of the century by the centurions.
 
  • #43
Hi, jimmyp:
This is a SERIOUS discrepancy, am I wrong??
I'll report back when I've checked my source..
 
  • #44
arildno said:
Hi, jimmyp:
This is a SERIOUS discrepancy, am I wrong??
I'll report back when I've checked my source..


? Lol. Actually, I don't see much difference :tongue:

Unless you are being sarcastic :uhh: I CANT TELL WITH TEXT!
 
  • #45
OK then, it's not THAT serious :wink:
However, I did think I was right, and I know what the original source is (I'll check it up)
(it was a Greek historian living in Rome as P.O.W. at the time of Cato the elder, and the Bacchus cult scandal (oops, shouldn't have mentioned that sordid affair at this family-oriented forum..))
 
  • #46
arildno said:
OK then, it's not THAT serious :wink:
However, I did think I was right, and I know what the original source is (I'll check it up)
(it was a Greek historian living in Rome as P.O.W. at the time of Cato the elder, and the Bacchus cult scandal (oops, shouldn't have mentioned that sordid affair at this family-oriented forum..))


I'm not sure exactly what the Bacchus Cult scandal was all about but I'm guessing it was related to some female ritual. The Romans called all the female rituals 'scandals', and something involving bacchanalians was all the more likely to be a target. :rolleyes:

And if you're concerned about the nature of the material, I put up an age advisory at the beginning of this thread.
 
  • #47
Gokul43201 said:
I'm not sure exactly what the Bacchus Cult scandal was all about but I'm guessing it was related to some female ritual. The Romans called all the female rituals 'scandals', and something involving bacchanalians was all the more likely to be a target. :rolleyes:

And if you're concerned about the nature of the material, I put up an age advisory at the beginning of this thread.

Oh, it was more sordid than that..:wink:
It was your usual mix of orgies in the night, raped males and wicked relatives conspiring to get your inheritance..but this is really too mundane and depressing to get further into..
 
  • #48
What a great time that was :rolleyes: :tongue:
 
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