2007-11-16 09:28:07 · 4 answers · asked by Guardian 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
1530, "goat sent into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement, symbolic bearer of the sins of the people," coined by Tyndale from scape (n.) + goat, to translate L. caper emissarius, a mistranslation in Vulgate of Heb. 'azazel (Lev. xvi:8,10,26), which was read as 'ez ozel "goat that departs," but is actually the proper name of a devil or demon in Jewish mythology (sometimes identified with Canaanite deity Aziz). Jerome's mistake also was followed by Martin Luther (der ledige Bock), Symmachus (tragos aperkhomenos), and others (cf. Fr. bouc émissaire). The Revised Version (1884) restores Azazel. Meaning "one who is blamed or punished for the mistakes or sins of others" first recorded 1824; the verb is attested from 1943.
2007-11-16 09:33:16 · answer #1 · answered by Theta40 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It comes from the Bible. See:
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/scapegoat?view=uk
2007-11-16 10:03:28 · answer #2 · answered by Ace Librarian 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
(in the Bible) a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it (Lev. 16).
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from archaic scape escape + goat
2007-11-16 09:32:34 · answer #3 · answered by Hazel 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
back in the old days people used to ride goats. when there was an emergency they used goats to "escape", hence the word scapegoat.
2007-11-16 09:30:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋