What are we up to? Day 20? It seems like a lot longer.
Anyway, role. That’s what we’re doing.
Role showed up in the early seventeenth century, relatively recent in etymology terms. It comes from the French rôle, which means…role. Apparently the line of thinking was that a role was a part someone played in life and was inspired by the fact that an actor’s part would be written on a roll of paper.
Seriously. Role comes from roll. Because of plays. Why’d they even change the spelling?
Sources
I guess they had to change it so people didn't get confused and think they were playing a small knot of bread.
ReplyDeleteThey change the spelling just so we have to try and remember which homonym is which. It's all a plot to give primary school teachers something to drill into the heads of seven year olds ;)
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
I like Natasha's comment :) Role is something we have to play in different situations, especially as a teacher. Whenever I see the word 'roll' I get homesick for a sausage roll :)
ReplyDeleteI like Kate's theory. Though, I think Natasha's theory also has merit. I remember those homonym drills in school well.
ReplyDeleteNatasha's theory seems most likely! :)
ReplyDeleteI just don't think a cinnamon role would be quite the same...
ReplyDeleteWhy'd they change the spelling? To drive me crazy. I can't tell you how often a teacher mentions taking "role". To which I clench my teeth and go ahead and take "roll".
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting history of the word.
ReplyDeleteIt's English. We don't want to spell it and make sense. We want to confuse the world.
ReplyDelete