Have you ever wondered where the phrase taken aback came from, or why it’s taken aback and not taken back? Read on to find out where the phrase came from.
To start with, the word aback, unsurprisingly, used to be two words: a back. Sometime about 600 years ago, the two words become one, as did around and the now defunct adown.
Before aback was used to refer to someone who is so surprised that they might step or jump back, it was a sailing term. An aback ship is one that is stopped suddenly by a wind that has blown the ship’s sail back against the mast. Although this is sometimes done purposefully, it is often a result of abrupt wind changes or inattention of the coxswain.
Just as a sudden wind change can bring a ship to an abrupt halt, so, too, can a shocking event or phrase bring us to a halt, hence why the phrase refers to metaphorical events as well.
Interested in other word origins? Let me know in the comments.
