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'Robotnik' is Russian and Polish for 'worker'. Etymologically [in Czech, Russian, Polish] it's closer to 'worker' and 'servant' than to 'slave'.
by betaby 10y ago
'Robotnik' is Russian and Polish for 'worker'.
Etymologically [in Czech, Russian, Polish] it's closer to 'worker' and 'servant' than to 'slave'.
- czechdeveloper 10y agoWell, the work was created by Karel Capek. In Czech language `robota` means forced labor for your lord. Robotnik is just guy performing it, it is not used in other way in Czech language.
- betaby 10y agoForced labor as work for feudal [medieval taxation] not like forced labor of slaves.
- czechdeveloper 10y agoFun fact, words 'slave' and 'Slav' comes from same word.
- egeozcan 10y agoThe word came from Czech, first use being from Karel Capek (checked some more sources, including the work from Sevan Nişanyan[1], an Armenian-Turkish language researcher, who would probably be unbiased in this matter). Another language with the same word used with a closer meaning does not always mean there is a connection. Etymology usually discovers connections which aren't intuitive at all. [1]: (Turkish) http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=robot&x=0&y=0 http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=robot&x=0&y=0
- gavinpc 10y agoYeah, actually this is how I remembered it from Webster's Third International many years ago, which I don't have anymore. Since then, I've become reliant on etymonline, which is handy, but somebody's hobby project[0]. A good reminder to trust the memory over the internet once in a while. [0] http://etymonline.com/bio.php http://etymonline.com/bio.php
- varjag 10y agoIt's "rabotnik" in Russian, and remarkably, "rab" does mean "slave". Czech is too distant however so any verbatim parallels are useless here.