Chrysti the Wordsmith > Radio Scripts

Listening in on a private conversation is eavesdropping. Who would have guessed that the term is architectural in origin?

The primary element in this word, eaves, refers to the edge of a roof that projects over the side of a house. The eavesdrip or eavesdrop of a building is the area below the eaves where rainwater cascades off the roof. A curious neighbor standing under the projection with an ear to the door or window has, since the 15th century, been labeled an eavesdropper.

In a document recorded in 1527, someone named John Rastell wrote, "Eavesdroppers are such as stand under walls or windows by night or day to hear news, and to carry them to others, to make strife and debate amongst their neighbours: those are evil members in the commonwealth, and therefore...are to be punished."

This scenario suggests lodgings not nearly as well-insulated as modern houses. Just as wind and rain could creep in through the chinks and cracks of earlier dwellings, conversation could as easily leak out and into the waiting ear of the eavesdropper.

Curious that English has a word for one who secretly listens in on discussions, but lacks an analogous term for one who reads others' private mail or documents. How about eyedropper?

Radio Script > Eavesdrop