07 April 2015

Are you following any clues?

Police follow them to solve crimes. The fictional character Sherlock Holmes is famous for finding them. But do you have clue to the origin of the word "clue?" 

To arrive at to today's definition, it combined the word "clewe" or "clew" dating back to the 10th century meaning "a ball of yarn" with the ancient Greek story of "Theseus and the Matador."

In order to enter the Matador's complex labyrinth, kill the bull-headed monster and solve his way out again, Theseus took with him a ball of yarn and followed it.

By Chaucer's time (Middle English period), the word had taken on the metaphorical meaning of something that leads to a solution. It wouldn't be until later when the spelling became standardized to "clue."

6 comments:

  1. Mr. B. or how to kill the Greek mythology !
    No, it wasn't a matador in the labyrinth, but it was The Minotaur ! And It's Ariadne's ball of yarn which helped Theseus to escape the labyrinth.
    Adrienne

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