Etymology - Freelance

[Izzy]

From:Freelancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term was first used by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in Ivanhoe to describe a "medieval mercenary warrior" or "free-lance" (indicating that the lance is not sworn to any lord's services, not that the lance is available free of charge). It changed to a figurative noun around the 1860s and was recognized as a verb in 1903 by authorities in etymology such as the Oxford English Dictionary. Only in modern times has the term morphed from a noun (a freelance) into an adjective (a freelance journalist), a verb (a journalist who freelances) and an adverb (she worked freelance), as well as into the noun "freelancer."

Just thought some of the new people would like to know where this term started.

[Jim Bryant]

Same with the rokugan samurai warriors, who sort of freelanced out their services to one war lord to another way before Sir Walter Scott.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

Same with the rokugan samurai warriors, who sort of freelanced out their services to one war lord to another way before Sir Walter Scott.

I was going to say Ronin as well, but that was kind of a deragatory term at the time I think? A samurai who lost his master, was supposed to commit "hara kiri", or suicide, but the ones that did not were known as the Ronin, and were kind of looked down upon.
But still, I guess you could call them freelancers?

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by RLucas

I was going to say Ronin as well, but that was kind of a deragatory term at the time I think? A samurai who lost his master, was supposed to commit "hara kiri", or suicide, but the ones that did not were known as the Ronin, and were kind of looked down upon.
But still, I guess you could call them freelancers?

How True!!!!

[Izzy]

I guess I totally did not think of the Samurai

[Sterling]

I thought the original post was about the actual term "freelance"?

I'm sure we could go back to the earliest humans if we're just looking for examples of someone that may have acted as a "freelancer."

[Cypher]

Actually Ronin samurai didnt necessarily have to lose face or there master to become Ronin. Sometimes they were disowned by there masters or voluntarily chose to wander alone.