People only just realising what ‘RIP’ stands for
The common abbreviation “RIP” is widely understood to mean “rest in peace.” However, its linguistic origins are not what many people assume.
Teacher Laurie Knox has highlighted that the phrase actually comes from Latin. When “RIP” first appeared on tombstones in England, it was an initialism for a Latin phrase.
The letters stood for “requiescat in pace.” This is the direct Latin translation for the English sentiment “rest in peace.”
Therefore, the abbreviation predates its English interpretation. It was originally a Latin expression that was later adopted into English with the same meaning.
This revelation has surprised many people on social media. Some commenters noted they were previously unaware of the Latin roots.
Interestingly, fans of the Assassin’s Creed video game series often knew this fact. The games have featured the Latin phrase, inadvertently teaching players its meaning.
While the essence of the phrase remains unchanged, its history provides a fascinating linguistic lesson. The abbreviation serves as a small example of how language evolves and borrows from the past.
