105. Spadassinicide

Butter No Parsnips

Our apologies on the lack of video this week, we made a mistake during recording and forgot to record video!

Emily and Kyle square up for an Alexander Hamilton style duel, but trade their pistols for fencing swords as they discuss the meaning and origin of the word spadassinicide.

Our hosts begin by diving into the word spadassin, its history in French and Italian, and its relation to sword fighters. And, it turns out there’s a reason the word sounds so similar to assassin, although OG Assassin’s Creed fans might not be surprised to hear it.

A spadassin might be just a bully in the eyes of Victor Hugo, but can also be a swordsman for hire in the middle of a revolution! Our hosts discuss uses of spadassinicide in the context of a passionately-written history of the French Revolution, and in a novel called Scaramouche with some surprising twists and turns.

For reference, the woodblock print mentioned at in the episode can be seen here: https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/15512

Join us every week as we explore the fascinating origins and meanings of words, uncovering the hidden stories behind language and how it evolves over time, for language enthusiasts and etymology buffs alike.

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Produced by⁠ ⁠Seth Gliksman⁠⁠, Kyle Imperatore, and Emily Moyers

Main theme and accompanying themes by Kyle Imperatore