English
katorga
Katorga comes from Russian ка́торга ‘penal servitude’, from Byzantine Greek κάτεργον ‘galley’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek κάτεργος.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκάτεργος
- Byzantine Greekc. 600–1453κάτεργον‘galley’
- Russianmodernка́торгаkátorga‘penal servitude’
- Englishearliest quotation 1912katorga
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκάτεργος
- Byzantine Greekc. 600–1453κάτεργον‘galley’
- Russianmodernка́торгаkátorga‘penal servitude’
- Englishearliest quotation 1912katorga
Earliest quotation: 1912, Alexander Berkman: “Sentenced to ten years of hard labor in the…”
Every English word from Ancient Greek κάτεργος
Today it means
noun A tsarist or Soviet labour camp.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κάτεργος / katorga