Where does the word blackmail come from

Posted on September 20, As originally used, mail probably referred to rent paid to a landlord. It may derive from the ancient association between the color black and evil deeds.

This is one of those words where I wonder what degree of literal it ever accomplished. Was it at some point actually black? And the shame of receiving one, for who would be blackmailed if they were a holy and upstanding citizen? The secret they carry is bad enough for another to extort them! What does it mean? Currently, this is demanding payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them.

Where does the word blackmail come from

On the subject of blackmail , however, we may provide some information. Did it come from an arcane custom of sending a threatening letter in a black-tinged envelope, in order to indicate to the addressee that woeful betidings awaited them if they did not comport with the instructions of the letter? The word does indeed come from mail , but it is not quite the same word that serves as the basis for email. The taking of black-mail , is a kind of Concussion in our Law, and by black-mail is understood, the paying of money, or any gratuity to thieves, for their protection, and by our Law not only the takers but the payers of black-mail, are punishable as thieves and Robbers. Although blackmail was originally used to refer to something that was done to farmers who lived on or near the border of Scotland and England, it proved to be too useful a word to be bound by such geographic constraints, and soon came to be used in reference to money extracted in exchange for protection in other locales. The public, or rather that portion of it smitten with the California fever, should be extremely cautious about receiving such rumors, as I understand from a perfectly reliable source that one of the leading? And she will not use her death sentence as emotional blackmail to stop the elopement of Lois. If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself subjected to blackmail, this information will, sad to say, not be of any great succor to you. But knowing it does mean that when you are in bed tossing and turning in your insomnolence you can turn your attention to those other questions that bedevil you. See Definitions and Examples ». Popular in. Etymologies for Every Day of the Week. See All.

Archived from the original on 19 September Archived from the original on 15 August

Part of a two-week series on the pull of bad influences in our lives and in the culture. Nine letters to connote all the dirtiness and manipulation that comes with the threat of disclosure. Confidential missives that threaten to enter the wrong hands? In daytime soaps and murder mysteries, blackmail regularly happens through the transfer of mail. The first textual account of black-maill appears in a Scottish document where serial looter, one Adam Scot, ended his career with a beheading.

The word comes from the freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against farmers in Scotland and northern England. The custom persisted until midc. Black from the evil of the practice. The sense expanded by to mean any extortion by means of intimidation, especially by threat of exposure or scandal. Compare silver mail "rent paid in money" s ; buttock-mail Scottish, s "fine imposed for fornication. Related: Blackmailed ; blackmailing. The same root produced Middle English blake "pale," from Old English blac "bright, shining, glittering, pale;" the connecting notions being, perhaps, "fire" bright and "burned" dark , or perhaps "absence of color. Black was used of dark-skinned people in Old English.

Where does the word blackmail come from

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the verb blackmail. Etymons: blackmail n. Sign in with library card. Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic. Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into blackmail, v.

Female chastity

This form is encrypted and protected by attorney-client confidentiality. People have the opportunity to give in to temptation since they are anonymous and possibly commit criminal acts such as blackmailing. Coercion based on threat of revealing information. Log in now. Ah, the civility of modern extortion. Get Word of the Day daily email! Archived from the original on 15 August London: Whittaker. One American legal scholar uses the example of a person who threatens to expose a criminal act unless he is paid money. What does it mean? Sextortion, constituting a form of blackmail, is employed to exploit this power and coerce victims into providing sexual favors or explicit images in exchange for desired outcomes such as job security or academic advancement. Prentice Hall. Wordplay Word History. The "mail" part of blackmail derives from Middle English male , "rent, tribute". Is 'Irregardless' a Real Word?

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West Pub. And the shame of receiving one, for who would be blackmailed if they were a holy and upstanding citizen? Hidden categories: Webarchive template wayback links Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Use dmy dates from January Articles containing Middle English -language text Articles needing additional references from March All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from March Articles containing Scottish Gaelic-language text Articles containing Irish-language text Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopedia Americana with a Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Articles with excerpts Articles with BNF identifiers Articles with BNFdata identifiers Articles with J9U identifiers Articles with LCCN identifiers. Blackmail is an act of coercion using a threat. Download as PDF Printable version. English criminal law. Compounding Malfeasance in office Miscarriage of justice Misprision Obstruction Perjury Perverting the course of justice. Sextortion the rise of social media blackmail has been observed, which is popular among individuals deemed to hold power or authority in fields like politics, education, and the workplace. The ability to be anonymous encourages antisocial tendencies and the ability to spread fake news. Missing Letter A crossword with a twist Play.