15:50 • 20 Nov 2008
Notes & Quotes
How did the term 'plagiarism' originate?
The term ‘plagiarism’ derives from the Latin plagium, meaning ‘kidnapping’, and was first used in English in its modern context by the playwright Ben Jonson. Prior to Jonson’s coinage, a ‘plagiary’ was somebody who kidnapped a child or a slave.
The term ‘plagiarism’ derives from the Latin plagium, meaning ‘kidnapping’, and was first used in English in its modern context by the playwright Ben Jonson. Prior to Jonson’s coinage, a ‘plagiary’ was somebody who kidnapped a child or a slave.