Submitted by Shabless t3_12690ps in explainlikeimfive
Dcln-e t1_je8p6qr wrote
Reply to comment by Axe-of-Kindness in ELI5 Why are pickles not just called pickled cucumbers? by Shabless
Sorry to disappoint but:
"The word 'maze' dates from the 13th century and comes from the Middle English word mæs, denoting delirium or delusion. The word 'labyrinth' may date as far back as the 14th century, and derives from the Latin labyrinthus and the Greek labýrinthos, or, a building with intricate passages"
"maze (n.) c. 1300, 'delusion, bewilderment, confusion of thought,' possibly from Old English *mæs, which is suggested by the compound amasod 'amazed' and verb amasian 'to confound, confuse' (compare amaze). Of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Norwegian dialectal mas 'exhausting labor,' Swedish masa 'to be slow or sluggish.'
https://www.etymonline.com/word/maze
I wish the world was cool enough that the origin of the word maze was related to corn as in corn maize. Although, to cheer you up here are 2 Labrynth/Maze facts that I shamelessly stole from mentalfloss.com
- LABYRINTHS—THE PREDECESSOR OF THE MAZE—WERE FIRST CREATED NOT TO CONFUSE, BUT TO SEND VISITORS ON A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.
Ancient labrynths were designed to be serene and introspective, and followed a single circuitous path. In Germany, for instance, young men would walk through a labyrinth as part of their initiation into adulthood.
- LABYRINTHS ARE UNICURSAL, WHILE MAZES ARE BRANCHING.
Though the terms are often used interchangeably, mazes and labyrinths have slightly different definitions. Officially, the word “maze” refers to a collection of branching paths, through which the traveler must find the correct route. “Labyrinth,” meanwhile, refers to a pathway which, while winding and potentially disorienting, is non-branching, and leads directly to its endpoint.
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