ostracize

Where does the word "ostracize" come from? It comes from Greek ostrakon, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Ostracize’s story begins in Greek: ostrakon meant “a pottery shard used for voting.” A pottery shard, used by ancient Athenians to cast votes to banish a citizen. It reached English by 1640s as ostracize. Adopted for the practice, then broadened to mean excluding anyone from a group. Today, ostracize means to exclude someone from a group or society.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient ostrakon "a pottery shard used for voting", a pottery shard, used by ancient Athenians to cast votes to banish a citizen.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1640s ostracize "to exclude someone from a group or society", adopted for the practice, then broadened to mean excluding anyone from a group.