English may be one of the most common language spoken around the world which is why it has so many words from other languages! You have shampoo from India and Ketchup from China! Of course there are many such words since ‘Angrezi’ is a ‘phunny’ language!
But (saw that didn’t ya!?) there is a word which involves breaking a bench!
Now before you hurl expletives in your preferred language let me tell you that the word is Bankrupt!
Hopefully your ‘expletive’ resources do not get so!
So it seems that in Ancient Greece, bankruptcy did not exist. If a man owed and he could not pay, he and his wife, children or servants were forced into “debt slavery” until the creditor recouped losses through their physical labour!
Many city-states in ancient Greece limited debt slavery to a period of five years; debt slaves had protection of life and limb, which regular slaves did not have. However, servants of the debtor could be retained beyond that deadline by the creditor and were often forced to serve their new lord for a lifetime, usually under significantly harsher conditions!
Apparently the Yassa of Genghis Khan contained a provision that mandated the death penalty for anyone who became bankrupt three times! So not only you have the problem of getting Bankrupt; if you get it three times then you literally have a death sentence! To top it off, you cannot even ‘pay off’ the executioner since you are, well bankrupt!
Now coming to the word as such which was actually the whole point of the blog!
The word bankruptcy is derived from Italian banca rotta, literally meaning ‘broken bank’. There in the days of open banking, a failed banker’s bench or Banca would be Rotta or broken! A foresight may be why the bankers of today have a bigger and stable bench while some hide behind the glass walls of the bench! Or maybe because he or she can sell the bench to avoid being Bankrupt!? Ok, I guess my ‘store’ of good jokes is getting ‘bankrupt!’
Luckily the list of padma winners is full of rich people! Rich in actions! Like Libia “Libby” Lobo Sardesai! Freedom fighter and all of 100 years old!
Read about her to get inspired!
Shubh ratri!
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