Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Etymology

One of the things I love to know is the origin of words. It seems to tie together history, languages and culture.
Just found a fascinating word that we all have used or done at some point...

Eavesdrop

Originally this word had nothing to do with snooping.

Eavesdrop started off literally: first it referred to the water that fell from the eaves of a house, then it came to mean the ground where that water fell.

Eventually, eavesdropper described someone who stood within the eavesdrop of a house to overhear a conversation inside.

Over time, the word obtained its current meaning: "to listen secretly to what is said in private."


So, I guess if you "eavesdrop" you're a big drip!!