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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Word “Fired” When Losing Your Job Come From and What Did the Term Mean Originally?

Where Did the Word “Fired” When Losing Your Job Come From and What Did the Term Mean Originally?

June 9, 2020 by Karen Hill

Being fired is usually an unpleasant experience.

Even though it’s sometimes a disguised blessing, it never reaches the cruelty of its medieval Celtic origins.

If a clan leader wanted to get rid of a petty criminal without killing him, or if someone was found guilty of stealing from his employer, especially from the mines, he was taken to his home along with all his tools and placed inside after which the house was “fired” or set on fire.

If he escaped, he was banished from the clan.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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