Where did the word picnic come from

Picnics are a fun and inexpensive way to spend time with family and friends and enjoy the fresh air and sunlight. Though picnics have been around since the beginning of human existence, the modern picnic was shaped in the 18th poweramp equalizer — long before plastic containers and the invention of the thermos.

How do we have these necessary conversations about language without sounding like the language police? The idea was surprising to many, but old news to others. Etymologically speaking , picnic — from the French words pique-nique — is nothing more than a potluck dinner. Yet when Southern white people made lynchings a regular occurrence at picnics, the word took on a different meaning for Black Americans. And a global pandemic disproportionately killing people of color coupled with the unjust deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have left many Americans asking: How did we get here?

Where did the word picnic come from

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picnic. Send us feedback about these examples. German or French; German Picknick , from French pique-nique. Accessed 3 Mar. Nglish: Translation of picnic for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of picnic for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! See Definitions and Examples ». Dictionary Definition. Log In. Synonyms of picnic. Examples of picnic in a Sentence. Noun We decided to have a picnic on the beach.

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Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe. Frederick Douglass. Is it true that the word picnic originally came from the word pick-a-nig or pick-a-nigger? Apparently, a black person was randomly "picked" and hanged for the entertainment of whites. The whites, including families, ate from box lunches while enjoying the barbaric act. If this is true we should stop using the word picnic, replacing it with outing or gathering. Your question has several components; we will address each component.

This word is from French pique-nique , probably formed with reduplication from the verb piquer , to pick. Another explanation is that the second element is the noun nique , of imitative origin and meaning small thing of little or no value. En vers burlesque The charming effects of barricades, or the lasting friendship of the Company of the Bacchic brothers of Pique-nique. In burlesque verse. This pamphlet celebrates the end of the first Fronde, an insurrection against Mazarin and the court during the minority of Louis XIV, which was a period a food scarcity in Paris under siege. This word is not old in our language; and it is unknown in most of our provinces. Both this definition and the first attestation indicate that this dining custom originated in Paris. He also mentions the form pic-nic probably after English and la loi de pic-nic , the picnic law , according to which each person pays their share. This implies that the French word did not specifically denote a meal eaten outdoors , as it now does after the recent English usage.

Where did the word picnic come from

Detail of Bayeux Tapestry: William at the battle of Hastings. Image by Myrabella, , licensed under Creative Commons. Men, women, and children sitting on blankets and eating and drinking in a bucolic setting. One man is playing the guitar. The English word picnic ultimately comes from the French pique-nique , although it may have come via German. The French word originally referred to a meal where everyone paid for or contributed their share of the food, but later came to mean a meal eaten outdoors.

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The Oxford English Dictionary says "picnic" is "Perhaps of multiple origins. Realize that the examples are everywhere. Retrieved 13 July To drink, picnickers would have beer, clarety, sherry and brandy. Article Talk. Remember, it was acceptable to refer to Black people as monkeys in polite company back then. And, Zangrando, Robert L. How to deal with questions about language right now. See also: Category:Picnic films. We often think of a mob as an insane, bloodthirsty collection of adult male ruffians. Let the Planning Begin! Retrieved 15 July Urbana: University of Illinois Press, p. Although many contemporary etymologists smugly dismiss this claim, it should be noted that there is a kernel of truth in this month's question. A book of verse beneath the bough, A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness — Ah, wilderness were paradise enow!

About this rating. Specious etymologies seem to be all the rage of late, and a dubious claim about 'picnic' fits that trend:.

The picnic : a history. Category Commons. If we want change, we have to get out the vote. Each of these menus has its charms, but it doesn't get any better than the outdoor dining menu devised by Omar Khayyam in his 12th century The Rubaiyat. Some of the words that defined the week of July 5, German or French; German Picknick , from French pique-nique. Picnickers like to sit on the ground on a rug or blanket. In many cases -- arguably in most cases -- lynch mobs had a particular target and confined their heinous aggression to a specific person. Mrs Beeton's picnic menus in her Book of Household Management of are 'lavish and extravagant', according to Claudia Roden. Some time in the 17th century, the meaning of the word changed to mean dining outside on a blanket. When the niggers get so they are not afraid of being lynched, it is time to put the fear in them. Word of the Day. Post the Definition of picnic to Facebook Facebook. Jane Austen and food. French aristocrats fled to other Western countries , bringing their picnicking traditions with them.