Find Out What the Word “Hack” and Medieval Horses Have In Common
In today’s society, we throw the word “hack,” around without a second thought. This is especially true in the realm of cyber security for businesses. Have you ever taken a moment to think about why the term “hacker” was chosen as the title for those who partake in sketchy online activity? What exactly makes a hacker, a hacker?
As it turns out, there are a ton of uses for the word “hack,” and almost none of them have anything to do with technology in any way. This might sound surprising, especially because the term is used so frequently. According to WIRED magazine, the term originally surfaced in the Middle English period (somewhere between the early 12th and 16th Century). In this sense it had three different meanings:
- Hack is a shortened version of “hackney,” which is a term used to describe an ordinary horse for ordinary purposes. As such, nothing great is expected from it, unlike other horses used for war.
- Hack can be a term used to cut something, most likely in the sense of a lumberjack cutting wood. These kind of cuts are jagged, which brings on the appearance of messiness.
- A hack is also a rack used to feed cattle or falcons.