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From: pardoej@lonnds.ml.com (Julian Pardoe LADS LDN X1428)
Subject: Re: Robots
Message-ID: <D5E2wA.4Mp@tigadmin.ml.com>
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Organization: Merrill Lynch Europe
References: <888496381wnr@shappski.demon.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 17:21:45 GMT
Lines: 24

In article 888496381wnr@shappski.demon.co.uk, Andre@shappski.demon.co.uk (Andre Shapps) writes:
>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).
>
>Others tell me that it's an acronym for - well I forget now.
>
>Anyone know the truth?
>
>-- 
>Andre Shapps

I believe the word "robot" was coined by a Czech writer (Karel ^Capek?) and used in the play
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots).  I guess that the Czech root "robot" is the same as
the Russian root "rabot-", so it's not an acronym at all.

-- julian pardoe --






