Hearse and rehearse are sisters under the skin.
Rehearse comes from the Latin re meaning "again" and herce meaning "harrow."
Like a farmer, a theatrical company harrows the field again and again at its rehearsals.
In Middle English the French word hercier became herce, originally a triangular harrow, then a frame for supporting funeral candles, after that it was a bier before it finally became the carriage we know today as the hearse for the transport of a dead body.
1 comment:
I'm wondering if a band rehearsal has definitely to do with death and use of a hearse vehicle.
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