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From: kriha_p@actrix.gen.nz (Paul J. Kriha)
Subject: Re: Robots
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Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 15:33:36 GMT
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In article <D4xt5t.GDC@indirect.com>,
   stevemac@bud.indirect.com (Pascal MacProgrammer) wrote:
>Not so very long ago, Andre@shappski.demon.co.uk said...
>>Does anyone know the origin of the word "robot"? I had a feeling it
>>might be related to the Russian "rabotat", to work, which some
>>dictionaries indicate (although they quote Czech and Old Slavonic). 
>
>  It was coined by Karel Capek [inverted circumflex over the "C"] in a 
>play that he wrote, called "R.U.R." (which stood for "Rossum's Universal 
>Robots").  He no doubt based it on a word in his native language (Czech, 
>I believe), for "worker", and the word is related to the Russian word you 
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>quoted.


"Pozor, pozor!" If you're using Russian dictionary to look up Czech
words you are bound to get it wrong quite often. :-)

The Czech word for "work" is "pra'ce", and "worker" is "pracovni'k".

"robota" from which "robot" was derived is "drudgery/feudal labour" ....
a more fitting word than just "work", isn't it?

Paul JK
