United States | News & Politics

7192 readers

1 users here now

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

pangyuehung@lemmy.ml

yogthos@lemmy.ml

128

Judge removes Griffin from office for engaging in the January 6 insurrection - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (www.citizensforethics.org)

submitted 2 years ago by MrPhibb@reddthat.com to c/usa@lemmy.ml

9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] explodes@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's a coincidence. The word "news" is made from the initials of North, East, West, and South.

[–] 0x029a@lemmy.today 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

https://www.etymonline.com/word/news

late 14c., "new things," plural of new (n.) "new thing" (see new (adj.)); after French nouvelles, which was used in Bible translations to render Medieval Latin nova (neuter plural) "news," literally "new things."

The odd and doubtful construction probably accounts for the absurd folk-etymology (attested by 1640 but originally, and in 18c. usually, in jest-books) that claims it to be an abbreviation of north east south west, as though "information from all quarters of the compass."