Monday, 22 January 2007

Words of Interesting Origin: Assassin

Assassin

definition: someone who kills a famous or important person usually for political reasons
or in exchange for money

(atentátník/úkladný vrah)

example: John Lennon's assassin was Mark Chapman

ORIGIN: from Arabic hashishiyyin: "hashish-users". A fanatical Ismaili Muslim sect of the time of the Crusades, under the leadership of the "Old Man of the Mountains" (translates Arabic shaik-al-jibal, name applied to Hasan ibu-al-Sabbah), with a reputation for murdering opposing leaders after eating hashish.

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