
A Spartan Vocabulary Word
Last updated: Saturday July 13th, 2019
From the department of bad trivia questions:
What vocabulary word is named after the ancient Spartans?
Of course the obvious answer to this question is the word spartan, meaning "austere, frugal, lacking in decoration and luxury".
But there's another answer that also fits: laconic.
Laconic is a pretty great vocabulary word. The definition of laconic is "pithy and concise; using as few words as possible".
Just how does it relate to the Spartans? The word derives from the region of Lacedaemonia, aka Laconia, where the ancient Spartans lived. And the Spartans, in addition to being fierce warriors and pederasts, were famed for their dry wit, often coming in the form of a one-liner or comeback.
For example, when the Persian emperor Xerxes offered mercy to King Leonidas in exchange for laying down his weapons, Leonidas replied "Μολών λαβέ" - come and take them. Clint Eastwood would have fit in well.
Some greek guy said 'If I reach your kingdom I'll burn it down to the ground'
The spartans replied with 'If'